


blessed with a wilder mind (Part Two)

by sheApunk89



Series: wilder mind [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Brotherhood, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Episode Remix, Fix-It, Force-Sensitive CT-7565 | Rex, Force-Sensitive Clone Troopers (Star Wars), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, continuing my abandoned work, do I know what I'm doing with my life, i do not, links inside, the Jedi council doing good work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28118073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheApunk89/pseuds/sheApunk89
Summary: Rex stared down at his cup. His legs felt boneless and he couldn’t get over the feeling that the deck-plating was about to splinter beneath him and he'd be dropped into the engine cooling vats."Sir, I-""Obi Wan, please Rex. Or Kenobi if it makes you more comfortable. I think it would be best if we attempted to phase out the use of titles for now."Rex took another deep breath through chest constructing panic and swallowed."Kenobi then."OR: [the one where Rex is Force Sensitive, and it changes everything]
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-6116 | Kix & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker, Keeli & CT-7567 | Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi & CT-7567 | Rex
Series: wilder mind [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117757
Comments: 206
Kudos: 284
Collections: The_Newbie's Star Wars Fanfic





	1. The Mandalore Plot

**Author's Note:**

> And the story continues...

Chapter 6 -En route to Mandalore (The Mandalore Plot)

When Rex next awoke he had no concept of time or space. Only that his head had somehow grown in size by an order of three and he was thankfulfor the darkness.

Letting out a very undignified groan that he only allowed because he knew he was alone, he flung a hand out to find his com, fumbling with his eyes closed and head pressed into the thin regulation mattress until he found the function that would make it announce the time out loud.

Then he groaned again. He only had fifteen minutes before he was expected in General Kenobi’s quarters.

He contemplated briefly the idea of stopping by the Mess for a cup of caf on the way, but the nausea he hadn’t noticed reared up and called attention to itself at that idea.

Instead, Rex groaned audibly for a third time and rolled out of his bunk and to his knees. He paused, breathing deep through his nose until the room stopped spinning, even with his eyes closed, and he felt confident about climbing to his feet.

Rex had never been prone to migraines, but he knew plenty of vode who were, a side effect of repeated head trauma that wasn’t unexpected considering the lives they lead.

But, once he’d stumbled through his Fresher routine and wrestled himself into fresh blacks, he’d vowed never to disparage a vod who begged off duty due to this particularly heinous brand of headache. His head wasn’t so much throbbing now as it was threatening to implode and melt off his shoulders. His legs were not much steadier by the time he was kitted up and he put on his bucket and set the visor to night mode, steeling himself with a deep breath before he decided to brave the fully lit corridor.

By the time he arrived at Kenobi’s quarters, three decks and half a ship away, Rex was getting flop sweats under his shell and was immensely thankful he hadn't eaten because the smell of vom-in-bucket never really went away no matter how many times you cleaned it.

He chimedthe door once and was trying to decide what the odds were Kenobi could have whatever conversation he felt was needed with Rex in a fetal position on the floor, when it opened.

“Captain, do come in, you’re right on time.”

Rex moved stiffly to follow the Jedi into his room. Obi Wan immediately went to the tiny alcove in the wall that housed a makeshift kitchenette, leaving Rex floundering awkwardly in the middle of the room. Relying on training and an old cadet trick to keep himself on his feet when they felt like they were made of jelly more than bone. He let his mind drift, reciting prime numbers in his head and staring at the bulkhead. He let his other senses fuzz out for a moment, just a moment, he thought, he’d indulge in this, and then he’d pay the General the attention he deserved.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the General giving him a concerned frown.

“Are you alright Captain?”

“Sir.” Rex said, and he knew his vocoder would cover the strain in his voice.

Apparently, Kenobi knew it too.

“Then, would you mind terribly removing your helmet?” He asked, with a small smile, “I made us tea.”

Rex hesitated and then, with a steadying breath, reached up and broke the seals on his helmet, pulling it off to prop against his hip.

He was powerless to control his wince and he squinted his eyes shut against the light.

“Oh, Rex,” Kenobi sounded genuinely troubled. “If it’s at all possible, I do believe you look _worse_ than you did yesterday.”

“Thank you sir.” Rex said, not a little bit of sardonic dryness in his voice.

A moment later he relaxed marginally when the lights went out. He felt pressure on his shoulder again and opened his eyes.

“I may be able to help, if you don’t mind?” The Jedi asked quietly.

Rex had no idea what the General was going to do or how. He agreed immediately.

A second later Rex felt a cool ocean breeze blow through his mind, taking the majority of the pain with it and tension that had balled up in his shoulders and neck unfurled with a bone deep sigh.

“General, don’t take this the wrong way, but I would very much like to kiss you right now.”

Obi Wan laughed lightly, giving Rex’s shoulder a quick squeeze.

“Come sit, Rex.” Obi wan gestured to a tiny two-seater table in the corner with a low light lamp on the wall above it.

“Really General, what did you do?” Rex sat and picked up the tea the general made. It smelled green and bright, and was the color of a Rodian sunset.

“Am doing, actually. I’m shielding your mind.”

Rex jerked slightly, spilling a bit of tea over onto his gloves. “Sir?”

“I told you yesterday,Rex, you’re suffering from a rather severe case of Force Exhaustion. I imagine it has something to do with whatever you did to Kix yesterday. Especially if that was the first time you’ve ever intentionally used the Force,” he inclined his head in question, blowing on his own tea.

The barest of nods was all Rex could muster. Kenobi hummed and sipped.

“I thought as much. You should drink that.” He nodded toward Rex’s cup, “My master used to make it for me when I overdid it in training. Settles the stomach.”

Rex did, and was gratified to find that his stomach did in fact settle some as the liquid pooled there. It did nothing, however, for his mind.

"What do you mean you're shielding me, sir? My shields-"

"Are in tatters I'm afraid." Obi wan said and Rex fought very hard against the panic that welled up inside him at the thought. Kenobi got up to retrieve the sugar and continued, "I'm not certain, but what I've gathered from the men is the training you receive in thought shielding on Kamino is the most rudimentary, blunt force sort of shielding. It's reminiscent of a wall or in your case, reinforced durasteel and permacrete." He was teasing, Rex knew, trying to put him at ease. It wasn’t working, and now neither was the tea. "The problem with that is, in order for anything to pass through, the walls have to come down."

Kenobi sat back down, smiling kindly and passing the Captain the sugar cubes. Rex didn’t take any. Not because he didn't want them. He couldn't remember how to move his arms.

Obi Wan set them down between them and continued.

"My suggestion would be, when we rebuild them, this time you should add some doors."

Rex swallowed, searching for his voice. He set down his mug. "So the pain this morning was from..."

"The empathic feedback of every mind on this ship."

Rex slumped back in his chair.

"Kriff." As soon as he said it his eyes widened and Kenobi hid a smile in his tea.

"Indeed."

Rex stared down at his cup. His legs felt boneless and he couldn’t get over the feeling that the deck-plating was about to splinter beneath him and he'd be dropped into the engine cooling vats.

"Sir, I-"

"Obi Wan, please Rex. Or Kenobi if it makes you more comfortable. I think it would be best if we attempted to phase out the use of titles for now."

Rex took another deep breath through chest constructing panic and swallowed.

"Kenobi then." The Jedi tilted his head in acceptance. "What about...I know you said I have nothing to fear, but," _its hard to believe that_ , he didn’t say. Kenobi nodded gravely, as if he heard it anyway.

"I meant it Rex. And I have in fact already had a conversation with Master Ti this morning about this. She will be investigating the Kaminoan's practices of," he wrinkled his nose in distaste, " _vetting_ the men's development. We will not stand for any inhumane practices, I mean that. As a General and a member of the Jedi Council."

Rex blinked and nodded. He still wished there was a way to open a window. Maybe he could ask Kenobi if they could turn down the temperature in the room. Sweat was beading at his hairline and under his armor plates.

"It might help if I could tell her what exactly we were looking for."

Rex looked up, realized the Jedi was looking for him to give him some direction. He blinked.

"Its not...really my place to say, sir." He said finally, clearing his throat when his voice cracked, dry and strained. "I don’t, um. That is...what is considered "appropriate" quality control? For nat- borns, I mean?"

Obi Wan froze, then with deliberate, slow movements, set his cup on the table.

Obi Wan tried very hard not to think of the men as products, actively discouraged the idea among them and other Jedi. Sometimes being hit over the head with the concept in the blunt, almost naive way the troopers spoke of it, he forgot that they didn’t know anything else. They spent their entire lives among their brothers, and those that treated them as a whole rather than individual sentients. Sometimes he forgot that, for as much as the men knew about the ins and outs of war, they conversely knew next to nothing about...everything else.

"Why don’t you just tell me what it is you were worried would happen to you? When someone found out?"

Rex licked his lips.

"Decommissioning."

The look Kenobi sent him seemed to suck all the air from the room. He closed his eyes and Rex tilted his head at the sensation of heat like the first step off the ship on a desert planet, followed immediately by another cool breeze.

"Well," he said, low and hoarse, "thats certainly a place to start."

* * *

Rex arrived back at his room and heaved a deep sigh. He felt ready to pass out again and he'd only been awake for a few hours.

Kenobi had received an unexpected call from the council and apologetically dismissed Rex from their meeting earlier than anticipated.

They'd managed to rebuild most of Rex's shields before that at least, with doors this time, though Rex couldn't help but feel a bit awed and panicked at the idea of more ready access to the Force than he was used to. Though Kenobi had also advised him against attempting to access the Force for at least another day.

Rex didn’t think he had much choice in the matter, the place in his mind that had always had a pleasant fullness before still felt empty and numb. He found himself shying away from the feeling.

He stripped his top shell and dropped onto the bunk, unsure what to do about the fact that he was finally hungry, but also too tired to move.

His head snapped up at the sound of his door opening.

"Kix." He noted the medic looked as surprised to see Rex as he was to see Kix, which was ridiculous. It was _his_ room.

"Captain." He hesitated, "can I come in?"

"You already opened the door, Kix. Might as well." He noted he'd brought a tray of food. Ration cubes, rehydrated vegetable mash and a pudding cup, looked like. He was almost motivated to move. Almost.

Kix set the tray down on his desk and turned to hand him the pudding and a spork.

"Here. I got Mixer to save a couple of your favorite."

Rex's lips twitched as he took the proffered snack. "How'd you know butterscotch is my favorite?"

Kix rolled his eyes and settled in Rex's desk chair, sideways so he could prop one arm on the back and rub his palm roughly over his head.

"Im a medic. I make it my business to know what foods you lot will be motivated to eat if you're not well." 

Rex shifted his weight, some of the achyness of that morning bleeding back into the spaces between bone and blood.

"And why are you mother henning me today, Kix?"

Kix tilted his head.

"Because Force Exhaustion is a bitch." He leaned back to crossed his arms over his chest. "And I figured if the Jetti need to eat more during one of these burnouts, so do you."

Rex was frozen, mouth full of pudding, with no escape. He swallowed.

"Kix.."

“You should have told me.”

Rex sighed, dropping his eyes to the pudding cup and stirring it idly. “There was nothing to tell. I’ve…never done anything like that before.”

“You. Should. Have told me.” Kix repeated, deliberate weight in every word. Rex knew the wind up to a lecture when he heard one, and he’d earned his jaig eyes honorably. He met Kix’s gaze. “I don’t mean because you’re my friend and I know carrying the weight of this around on your own was probably damn near maddening. Or because _as_ your friend you should have trusted me not to put you in a position that could be dangerous.

I mean because I’m your _medic_. And when I get pulled out of unconsciousness after being healed from a deadly injury it’s important that I know what’s happening _before_ you pass out on the floor of some barn on a random planet in the middle of nowhere.”

Kix held his gaze a moment longer before he sighed, the ire draining out of his eyes that Rex knew was just as much a part of his armor as his shell.

“ _And_ because you’re my friend. And I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you to keep a secret like this all this time.”

The quiet, genuine affection in Kix’s voice was so unexpected Rex had to concentrate not to reach for him in the Force, almost desperate to feel the warmth of Brotherhood that he’d come to depend on without even realizing it.

“Thank you, Kix.”

The medic’s mouth quirked. “You saved my life."

Rex shook his head. "It was my fault you got hurt in the first place."

"Still. Thank you." His face softened and he chuckled to himself. "You should have seen Jesse's face when he saw me. I thought he was going to pass out the blood drained out of his face so fast."

Rex groaned. "Jesse. And Hardcase. I have to figure out something to tell them."

Kix flapped his hand dismissively. “Don't worry about it, I took care of it."

Rex raised an eyebrow in question.

“I told them to leave the diagnosing to me.”

Rex nodded. It wasn’t a lie. And it would do for now.

“I’ll tell them. I just...Kenobi thinks now that I’ve started using the Force, it might be hard not to and I just...i need some time to work through all this before everyone starts...looking at me and seeing something else.”

Kix nodded and didn’t press on that particular bruise.

“Who else knows?” He asked after a moment, allowing Rex to finish his pudding and start giving the rest if his foodthoughtful look. He was relaxed again, leaned back against the wall with one ankle propped up on the opposite knee. Rex wondered how it was so many of his brothers struggled to sit still, to be serious, if they weren’t on the battlefield. For Kix it always seemed like his natural state.

Even Rex felt like a cadet sometimes, compared to Kix.

“Keeli. Cody,” He swallowed, “General Kenobi.”

Kix startled, “What? Do any of the other Jedi know?”

Rex shook his head. “I asked the General to keep it to himself for now. He says the Jedi didn’t know about…” he sighed, knew Kix would hear what he didnt say, “any of it. He says they’ll put a stop to it.”

Kix swallowed, giving Rex a long, shadowed look. “Lets hope he does.”

* * *

After General Kenobi departed in his Aethersprite for Mandalore, the 501st and 212th departed for the Illenium system to provide support and relief to the 612th. 

The fourteen hour hyperspace jump had been filled with self-indulgent levels of self-isolation for the Captain, complete with ‘rest’ that had been ordered by both the medic and the Jedi, and copious amounts of paperwork that they had not.

But he was a Captain, he had things to _do_.

By the time they got planetside he was almost back to feeling like himself. 

_*CC-2224 has opened a private communications channel including CT-7567.*_

Rex's eyes flicked up to the notification in the corner of his HUD and stifled a sigh. There could be any number of reasons Cody would want to hold a conversation no one else would hear, but he somehow didnt think this one would have anything to do with the mission at hand.

_"You feeling better?"_

Rex glanced toward his brother without turning his head. He was making rounds through the newly set up camp, directing the AT-TEs and supply unloads from their cruisers in orbit. Cody had already finished overseeing the setup of camp and a briefing with Commander Ganch and come to find his heretofore missing younger brother.

_"What did you hear?"_ Rex asked. He caught the gaze of a knot of troopers rough housing while unloading crates from the ship and they all snapped to attention, shoulders coming up to the seals on their buckets.He rolled his eyes, glad his fond smile didn’t show under his helmet. He gave a dismissive wave and they all returned to what they’d been doing, with a bit more focus this time.

Cody waited until they were moving toward the next ship to speak again.

_"I know you were injured on Salucami. I know you weren't in the medbay and Kix was threatening to verbally, and then physically dismember anyone who disturbed you in your room.”_ They paused, as a shiny came running up from the 212th’s side of camp, saluting crisply. He handed Cody a pad. He gave a quick glance through the document and signed it, handing it back before turning back to Rex. _“And I know the only ones to see you since then have been him and General Kenobi."_

"Rex?" Anakin waved to them from a group of speeders parked nearby. 

Rex switched his vocoder to broadcast externally.

"Yes sir?"

“I’m gonna go scout the ridge with Jesse and Denal. We’ll brief with Ghost, Torrent and 612th command when we get back.”

"Aye sir."

Cody and Rex weren’t able to resume their discussion until they'd finished cataloging supplies and assigned guard rotations. By then there wasn’t much time left until Skywalker would be returning from his scout mission, so the two made their way to the command tent to wait before gathering the rest of the men.

"So what happened?" Cody said, picking up their conversation from an hour before. Battlefield habit had Rex catching on seamlessly.

Rex winced.

"I deflected a Commando sniper shot on accident. Hit Kix's speeder and exploded, threw us both. When I came to I found Kix was..." Rex trailed off and shivered at the echos of panic and foreshadows of death that had hung thick in the air in the barn that day.

Cody shifted so that their shoulders bumped together, Rex tapped his bracer in thanks.

"He wasnt going to make it. I...I had a vision."

Cody let out a long breath. "What did you do?"

"I asked the Force to help me save him."

"I guess it must have said 'yes'. He seemed pretty alive last time I spoke to him."

"Yeah."

They nodded at a few of the men making their way into the tent, clustering in groups of twos and threes as they all waited for the General to return.

"What was that like?" Cody asked after they'd watched the men talk quietly for a few minutes.

Rex sighed.

"Like...I've spent my whole life looking away from the sea and thinking the water that washed between my feet was the whole ocean, and now I've turned around and... there’s _a lot_ of ocean." He realized he'd trailed off in wonder and found Cody staring at him an _'aren't you adorable'_ tilt to his bucket.

He gave his brother a shove. " _Nejohaa_."

Cody chuckled, rolling with the shove and bobbing back up to knock into Rex’s side. "I didn't say anything, vod. So General Kenobi knows?"

"Yeah."

Cody barely paused.

"Good. I'm happy for you."

Rex shook his head, wondering at the way his chest felt lighter with his older brother's blessing.

In that moment the General entered the tent, a grim look on his face, Jesse and Denal in tow. Rex and Cody stood to meet him at the holoprojector at the center of the temporary room.

“Alright men, here’s what we’re going to do.”


	2. Voyage of Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Voyage of Temptation

Chapter Seven - En Route to Coruscant (Voyage of Temptation)

Obi Wan smiled at his Padawan and the two soldiers approaching as the Duchess and her entourage made their way into the ship.

“The peaceful ways of the locals wore me out.” Kenobi said, rue and resignation in his tone. "How are you men? Cody? Rex?"

Cody dipped his chin. "Nothing to report General. Though I imagine it will be interesting to read yours."

Obi Wan huffed. "Much more interesting than I'd hoped, I'm afraid." He lead the way into the Duchess' yacht, quickly falling into a quiet conversation with his former padawan.

He hadn't tried to access the Force at all in the past few days, not eager to have a repeat of Salucami, especially with his head medic on assignment with the 501st and without Obi Wan there as backup. Just in case.

But, now, Kenobi had returned and he found his stomach flipping in anticipation of getting that part of himself back. Slowly, he opened one of his doors.

_(Welcome back, Little One)_

His insides settle at the sensation of a smile curling around him, his subconscious reaching toward the warmth in the back of his mind that was almost as familiar and comforting as the feeling of Cody at his side. 

Rex and Cody turned to follow their generals with the rest of their troops, purposefully putting themselves between the men and the Mandalorian guards.

He was not unaware of the sneering from the Mandalorian guards. Would not have been unaware even if he _hadn’t_ suddenly been able to feel their disdain bleeding into the Force like toxic waste on a garbage scowl. They were not particularly subtle and clones tended to be more observant than most.

"Rex?" Anakin and General Kenobi had stopped ahead of them while Duchess Satine and her guards continued on into the lift.

"Yes sir?"

"We're going to head down to the main cargo bay for a briefing. Gather your men."

"Aye sir."

Cody nodded at him Rex looked back to the others and waved them forward. Their work wasn't yet done.

* * *

Rex dropped down onto his bunk with a sigh. Cody had finished up with the men to give Rex a chance to go back to their quarters and rest a bit more on the trip. Rex had insisted it wasn't necessary, but Cody could be an overbearing ori'vod at times and Rex didn't always have the heart (or energy) to refuse him.

Instead of sleeping, however, he reached for his comm and dialed in a frequency he'd had memorized since Geonosis.

_"Rex? For Fett's sake where have you been?"_ The call was picked up immediately.

"Keeli, why do you sound like you've been running?" Rex couldn’t see much on Keeli’s side of the comm, but he appeared to be in his quarters aboard the _Finale_.

_"Why do you sound like you've been dead?"_

"What?"

_"Because thats what I think when that place in my head that feels like **Rex** suddenly goes up in a solar flare and then vanishes, vod. It feels like you've died. Have you died? Did you march ahead and forget to tell me? Because we agreed that if you did march ahead you would find a way to have the Voice contact me."_ Keeli leaned his chin on his hand, all feigned nonchalance and bravado. _“The Voice didn’t contact me, Rex.”_

"Oh Keeli I’m sorry I-"

_"No no, I'm gonna need a yes or no answer to this. Are you dead, vod?"_

Rex sighed and pinned his brother with as sardonic a look as he could muster.

"No. I'm not dead, Keeli."

Keeli, for all his posturing and teasing and immense joy he took in giving his brother a hard time, nodded seriously without a trace of his usual humor.

_"Good."_ He took a deep breath, his worry and fear broadcasting loud across his face. A moment later there was the tenuous feeling of reaching in Rex's mind and he reached back, grasping his vod's presence they way he would his forearm if they were together.

_"Thats better."_ Keeli said with a sigh. He paused as he scrubbed a hand over his head a few times and then sat back. _"Shit vod, where’ve you been?"_

“Salucami. There was an incident. I was injured.”

Keeli’s eyes narrowed and the small blue hologram flickered.

_“What else? You’ve been injured before, nothing like this has ever happened.”_

“Yeah, well.”Rex pulled his hands under the desk so the fidgeting he could’t quite control wouldn’t be seen.

_“You’re nervous.”_

Instead of answering Rex got up to pace just inside the recording area of the holo, Keeli sat back from his desk. “Not nervous. Restless.”

_“Rex. What. Happened.”_

“Do you know what Force Exhaustion is?”

Keeli tilted his head and rotated his bad shoulder, reaching up to undo the clips keeping his right shoulder and arm plates on.

_“Yeah. The General had it once, when he kept a cave from collapsing on a half a company of men after a seismic event during a relief mission. Took six hours to dig them out. When we got to them the General was barely conscious. Slept for a week. I thought Thumbs would have an aneurism.”_ He stretched his right arm across his body, tracking Rex as he paced. _“Are you saying that’s what happened to you?”_

“I wasn’t the only one injured. My medic…I- he wasn’t going to make it.”

_“Lt. Kix. I remember.”_

“That's him. And just couldn’t just let him die, Keeli. I had to do something...So I asked the Voice for help.”

Keeli rubbed his shoulder and blew out a long breath. _"Alright. So then what?"_

"It did. It...showed me how to save him." Rex sighed and sank back down onto the bunk, resting his elbows on his knees and pressed his hands to his mouth for a moment in thought.“It was like...taking a deep breath after a weight comes off your chest. Like flying and falling at the same time.” Rex knew he wasn’t making sense. Knew Keeli would understand anyway. Maybe he was the only one who could.

“I could feel. Really _feel_. Everything. The life, the life inside everything. There’s _so much_ life, Keeli.” Rex closed his eyes, letting his awareness spread outward, just slightly, so that he could feel in an abstract sense, the sentients nearby. The pulsating beats of life on the ship that varied like light filtering through trees in the forest. 

_“Rex? Are you…are you doing it now, vod?”_

Rex swallowed and blushed slightly, looking away. “Sorry. It’s kind of hard not to, now. It almost hurts not to be a part of it.” He pressed a hand to his chest and rubbed the phantom pain of _not connected_.

Keeli sat forward, that unfamiliar look of tension and worry back on his face. _“But the Jedi, they’ll feel you. You’ve gotta be more careful.”_

“Well…”

_“Oh no.”_

“What?”

_“You’re doing the thing.”_

“What thing?”

Keeli made a vague gesture toward his face. “ _The thing you do when you’re trying not to say something. Rex, what aren’t you telling me?”_

Rex swallowed a wince. “Kenobi knows.”

It should have been impossible but Rex would swear despite the blue and white tinge of the flickering hologram that he could see the blood drain out of his brother’s face. “No no, it’s okay.” He assured quickly.

_“Rex. How is this okay?”_ Keeli had gone stone still and Rex leaned forward, desperate to wipe away the fear on his face.

“I promise. Keeli, I promise it’s okay. He…wants to help me. He said not to worry about decom. He’s not sending me back to Kamino. He - he even helped me rebuild my walls.” Rex didn’t mention the doors, didn’t think Keeli was ready to hear that yet. “It’s alright.”

Keeli still hadn’t moved, except for his eyes. His eyes darted around Rex’s face, both searching for the lie and like he was worried he might disappear.

_“Do you swear? Do you swear to me you’re safe?”_ Keelil's voice was a fear filled whisper, throwing Rex back five years in time. Back to when Rex and Keeli were squished together in a single pod, a whisper all they could muster between them. All around them rows of empty pods, nearly half the number allocated to their year, were deafeningly silent.

That had been the worse culling either had ever experienced, before or after. No one knew why so many Sixes had been deemed ‘defective’, and they never found out. (Later Rex would wonder how many of his seemingly normie vode had had the Voice and failed to keep it tight enough under wraps.) But Rex knew he wasn't the only one who never quite woke up from that nightmare.

“I swear Keeli.” The fear on his face was made Rex reach for their bond again and he sent a sense of peace and reassurance to his brother.

He saw when Keeli felt it because he tilted his head.

_“Thats a new trick.”_

Rex smiled. “I’ll teach you sometime.”

Keeli just nodded studying his brother’s face a few moments more before something outside of range of the holo caught his attention.

_“I’ve gotta go, somebody is about to come to my door.”_

“Okay, comm me later.” Just as Rex finished the sound of a chime went off in Keeli’s room and his brother smirked.

_“Take care of yourself Rex.”_

Rex nodded. “I will, you too, Keeli. Rex out.”

* * *

After finishing up with Keeli, Rex went to find Cody so they could coordinate a few patrols and, hopefully, some downtime for the squads they'd brought with them.

"Hey Codes." Rex said coming upon his brother in the hall, "I was just coming to find you theres-" he stopped. The Force around his brother buzzed with the cold of anger and the heat of embarrassment. "Whats wrong?"

Cody straightened. "Nothing. I was on my way to the bridge, care to join me?"

Rex looked him over, his tone and body language supported his claim of nothing amiss. He glanced around. If Cody had been heading for the bridge he was going the wrong way.

Just then two Mandalorian guards emerged from a nearby door to what appeared to be an Officer’s galley. They stopped short upon seeing the two men and scowled.

“I thought I told you to get moving, _clone_." They shoved between them, despite the fact there was plenty of room in the spacious hallway to walk on either side. Cody's anger spiked and Rex breathed through the heat in his belly.

"Prime was no picnic and he made a lot of mistakes," Cody growled loud enough to be heard down the hall, his fists clenched beside him, "but can't say I disagree with his estimation of the character of so called _‘New Mandalorians'_."

The two guards stiffened and turned back. The Voice went tense with warning and Rex put a hand out to touch Cody’s gauntlet.

“Cody, let’s go.”

“You have something to say to me, clone?”

“I have a name.”

“No. You have a number. Like any product. I’m surprised they even programmed you with the ability to want a name.” The guards stalked back toward them, but neither soldier mistook his swagger for thoughtlessness. “What good is a droid that thinks for itself?”

One of the natborns was standing slightly back giving Rex a condescending look while the other leaned so far into Cody’s space his helmet was nearly touching the Commander's. Cody had drawn himself up to his full height and Rex could feel the way he was grasping at control and having it slip through his fingers.

“Vod,” Rex warned lowly.

“Do _not_ presume to use our language,” the second man spat, stepping closer to Rex, “you are nothing more than a poor copy of a man who wasn't Mandalorian to begin with.”

Rex’s head jerked slightly at a series of blurred images that flashed through his mind. Cody brawling with the Mandalorians in the middle of the hallway, the noisy clatter of beskar and plastoid. Pain. Swearing. Cody being led away in binders.

What came next didn't matter, Rex couldn't let that happen.

“No.” He whispered, not even loud enough to be picked up by his helmet mic.

_-How do I stop this?-_

Rex closed his eyes, shutting out the posturing and threats. He could feel the anger building around him, crackling in the air, felt it’s flames lapping at his chest and mind. He breathed in.

_(Open yourself, child. Remember the Ocean. Take. Then give.)_

Rex bit his lip. He thought about the cool ocean breeze Kenobi had pushed over him in his quarters. Thought about Keeli’s laugh when they were together. Reached for the bond of Brotherhood coming from the group of troopers a few floors below them.

And he _(Gently, child, gently)_ gently pushed the feelings outward. He breathed back out again.

“C’mon Tahz,” the second guard said, unfolding his arms. He slapped the back of his bracer against the other’s shoulder guard. “They’re not worth it. Let’s go.”

The first man growled out a response but slowly leaned out of Cody’s space. “Yeah, you’re right. Remember what I said, _clone_. Just stay out of our way.”

Then they turned and stalked off down the hall. After as moment the tension slid out of Cody’s shoulders and he sighed.

“You alright?”

Cody’s bucket turned to him with a smirking tilt.

He nodded. “Thanks.”

Old habit had him shaking his head immediately. “I didn’t-“

“I’ve spent enough time with General Kenobi to know the Force when I feel it. You probably just kept me from doing something really stupid.”

Rex relaxed when Cody threw an arm over his shoulders, pulling him in the opposite direction the other two men had gone.

“You’re welcome.” Rex said finally, prompting Cody to give him a little squeeze.

_”Captain Rex, this is Corporal Stars."_

Rex punched the flashing button on his wrist comm. “What is it Stars?"

_"Uh, I'm not sure sir. I’m in the cargo bay and I can't raise Mixer or RedEye. We were separated and-"_ There was hesitation and worry in the young man’s voice. Cody’s arm fell away and they turned simultaneously to start toward the nearest lift.

"Commander Cody and I are on our way."

* * *

Kenobi was pacing his room aboard the Duchess’ yacht when he called out for the person at his door to enter.

“Ah, Rex. I was just about to contact you.”

“Sir? Did you need something?”Rex asked, straightening.

“No no, I was just about to meditate and thought you might like to join me?”

Rex’s smile was polite but strained. “Of course sir.”

“Rex, it is not an order.” He chuckled. “Not a fan of meditation?”

Rex slid into parade rest. “I didn’t say that.”

Kenobi nodded, pushing his small desk chair into the bulkhead to make room on the floor.

“Always worried there's something more important to be doing?”

Rex shifted on his feet. “Well, theres not a lot of down time in a war.”

“I am aware.” Kenobi agreed. He folded his arms loosely and stroked his beard. “Let me ask you, how often do you practice with your blasters?”

Frowning lightly, Rex moved his hands to the hilt of his weapons in their holsters. “Everyday.”

“And sparring?”

“Very nearly.”

The Jedi nodded. “And why is that?”

“To stay sharp. Make sure everything is working as it should. You never know when your life might depend on it.”

“Exactly. It’s the same idea with Meditaiton. As a Jedi we interact with the Force more than any other living being. When we meditate we ensure that we are in tune with it.” He smiled at a private joke. “You never know when your life might depend on it.”

Rex frowned thoughtfully at the ground for a moment and then shrugged. “Why don’t you just ask it for help?”

Obi Wan shook his head, eyebrows knitted. “What do you mean?”

“Like when I wanted to help Kix,” Rex gestured vaguely, “I asked the Voice for help and it told me what to do.” He paused, reading the confusion on the Jedi’s face. “Is...that not how it works for you?”

“Not exactly...though the idea of communicating directly with the Force is fascinating. Perhaps that could be the focus of our meditation today.” Kenobi reached for his sash and began unwinding it, smiling. “Now, what did you come to ask me?”

“Sir?”

“Well I didn’t actually summon you here so, I assume you had a reason for your visit?”

“Ah,” Rex, who had begun reaching for the clasps on his utility belt (he happened to know Jedi liked to meditate folded up in strange contortions and had no desire to attempt any of them in full kit), put his hands behind his back. “Yes sir. About Duchess Kryze.”

Kenobi’s outer tunic hung loose as he dropped his sash to his bed with a deep sigh.

“Yes, I thought that might be it. What is your question?” Kenobi grimaced, waiting. Just how would he explain his near disregard for Jedi teachings to a young man he was contemplating training in those very teachings? To say nothing of the fact that his own Padawan had committed murder just a few moments after his ill advised declaration of love. Self defense and all that, but murder all the same.

“She's a New Mandalorian. Do you...agree with her?”

Obi Wan turned around, confused by a question he wasn’t expecting. “What?”

“Do you agree with her, sir? With her...beliefs?”

Obi Wan folded his arms. “I’m not sure I understand. I’m not Mandalorian, it doesn’t really matter what I believe.”

“It does.” Rex insisted, tightening his right hand around his left wrist. His heart was pounding, this felt a lot like questioning a superior officer, an act that went against his most basic programming.

But if Kenobi was going to train him in the ways of the Jedi, then he had to know. Just what kind of people were the Jedi? And what did they really think of him and his brothers?

“Perhaps you could enlighten me, Captain?”

Rex straightened and averted his eyes and Obi Wan immediately regretted the sharp undertone of his words. He’d been working hard to get Rex to relax in his presence and he didn’t want to undo any progress he’d made. He took a deep breath and released his confusion and burgeoning irritation into the Force.

“The Mandalorian Guard, sir. My men have had...a few run ins with them since we’ve been on board. They do not appreciate...my _kind_. Sir.”

“Your kind...clones?”

The Jedi sighed and Rex again felt that desert heat wave from Obi Wan’s quarters a few days ago. Kenobi went back to stroking his beard, pacing the tiny room thoughtfully.

“It’s not about being or not being Mandalorian.” Rex sighed, remembering the hurt and anger coming off of Cody outside the galley. “They... don’t even consider us human.”

Kenobi stopped short and looked at him. “And you’re concerned I may agree.”

Rex swallowed. “Your personal feelings are none of my business, sir.” He cleared his throat. “But, if I’m going to learn some of the ways of the Jedi...I would be remiss if I didn’t at least ask.”

Obi wan nodded and mimicked his posture, tucking his hands behind his back.

“Well, I reiterate, I am not Mandalorian. I have no leanings on Mandalorian politics, True, New or otherwise." He took a deep breath, moving another step closer to the Captain. “But I have served beside you and your brothers for the past two years. Fought and slept and ate with you. And I can tell you honestly I have never known a group of people who better represented all that humans are, and have the potential to be, than you and your brothers.” Kenobi rocked onto his toes. “And anyone who can’t see that, is a massive _di’kut_.”

Rex managed a smile and relished in the warmth that blossomed in his chest and bled out into the room. Obi Wan smiled in return and motioned toward the floor. Rex nodded and went back to unclipping his largest armor plates.

“Rex,” Kenobi said, folding himself onto the floor. He rested his hands on his knees. “May I ask you a question?”

“That seems to be the theme of the day, sir.” Rex said, setting aside his upper plates and kama.

“Are there others? Clones with the Force, I mean.”

Rex stopped and took extra care in stacking his leg plates to give himself a couple more seconds to school his features. Keeli’s face, awash with fear and worry flashed through his mind.

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say, sir.” He said, turning around. “Not until we know for sure what’s happening on Kamino.”

Kenobi nodded. “Understood.” Rex nodded his thanks and sank to his knees opposite him. “Lets begin.”


	3. ARC Troopers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coruscant to Kamino (ARC Troopers)

Rex did not think he would ever enjoy meditation, but he had to admit it felt good to sink into the Force so completely. Apparently Anakin didn't enjoy it either so Rex found himself sharing Obi Wan's meditation sessions more often than not while aboard the Duchess' yacht.

Still, when they arrived on Coruscant Rex was looking forward to stretching his legs for a couple days before they shipped back out again. He stood on the ramp for one of the large transport ships, watching from afar as Anakin and Ahsoka reminded the men of Leave protocols before dismissing them.

He heard Kenobi's soft footfalls approaching him from behind.

“Rex, would you like to come with me to the Temple? If it's alright with you I was hoping to ask the Council about training you in a more official capacity." Obi Wan and Rex smiled, watching the men as they dispersed for their Liberty, flooding the Force with fanfare and rowdy joy. “Normally an Initiate would begin training as a small child but exceptions have been made. You’re only two years older, by galactic standards, than Anakin was when he joined the Temple, I could probably convince the council…what is it?" He paused, noting the troubled look in the Captain’s face.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Always, Rex, I told you that." Kenobi tilted his head and the two started down the ramp.

“I’m not sure I would make a good Jedi. You trained your whole life to be a peacekeeper.” He gestured largely toward Kenobi and the Temple that lay beyond the hanger. “I trained my whole life to be a soldier. The two seem fundamentally at odds."

Obi Wan stroked his beard as they walked and Rex tucked his hands behind his back as he thought.

"Do you remember when I told you about Grey Jedi?” Rex hummed so Obi Wan continued. “That may not be a common teaching anymore among the Order but...sometimes I wonder if we haven’t gone too far in one direction. A planet with no night is just as unpleasant as one with no day, as you said. What if we have become so blinded by our own perceived superiority that we cannot see our shortcomings.”

Rex glanced back to see a few of the men roughhousing in civvies in front of the barracks. He felt a tug in his chest toward their warmth. Behind it came a rush of sadness. If he followed the singing he could hear in his head, toward a path that led to the Jedi, would he have to forfeit that warmth? Did one preclude the other?

He tried to push the question toward the Voice, but didn’t receive an answer. It’s wasn’t gone, Rex could still feel the Force around them, but it was subdued. As if calling out from far away.

“Perhaps you and any others like you might provide a new perspective for the Order." Obi Wan continued.

Rex sighed as they approached the sprawling Temple steps. Obi Wan turned to him questioningly.

“The Jedi have rules against forming attachments, right?”

“Yes.” Obi Wan stopped and turned, prompting Rex to do the same.

“My attachment to my brothers is all I have some days. All that gets me out of bed. All that gets me through long battles and longer nights. They’re a part of me. I don’t think I can give that up. For anything.”

Obi Wan nodded. “I understand. And, the rules regarding attachment are far more nuanced than most people realize. I don’t even think Anakin fully understands them.” He said, smiling slightly. “I doubt everything regarding your training will be resolved in a single council session, Rex, but I promise you. No one will take your brothers from you.”

Rex felt a knot of tension in his stomach loosen at the reassurance. He nodded.

"Okay."

“There,” Obi Wan smiled and reached out to pat his shoulder guard. “Feel better? Ready to face the council?”

“You’re sure it’s necessary?” Rex asked, teasing tilt to his bucket.

Obi Wan laughed and they turned to continue into the temple.

“My dear Rex, I have those same thoughts everyday of my life.”

* * *

"An AT-TE walker. A nuna. A laser spanner. A cruiser."

Rex bit his lip and watched Mace turn from his view-pad and nod at Master Yoda.

"Intriguing, this is. Indeed, strong with the Force you are Captain."

Rex glanced at Obi Wan, standing beside him rather than in his council seat. He relaxed slightly at the man's encouraging nod.

"A Clone? Force Sensitive. Its impossible." One of the other council member's said, with a shake of his head. Rex couldnt remember his name, he didn't think he commanded a battalion of his own.

"We have all just seen him pass the test, Master Koth." General Ti's holo image flickered slightly, and Rex lifted his chin slightly bolstered by her support.

"It was a simple test." Another Master Rex didn’t recognize argued back, "it merely proves he has the Force, that doesn’t mean he has the aptitude to become a Jedi."

"On the contrary, the Force seems quite clear on the matter," Master Kenobi was the picture of reason and calm, but Rex didn’t need to know him as well as he did to see the coldness in his eyes. It made him straighten his shoulders unconsciously. "It wants Rex."

Rex tried not to visibly startle. The Force _wanted_ him? He felt the joy that hummed at the thought and in spite of himself, his eyebrows rose. He'd known he felt pulled toward the Jedi, but had thought it was just his ingrained reverence for them, the allure of joining their hallowed ranks.

_(Yes, that Little One, but also so much more.)_

"Agree with Master Kenobi I do. Join the Jedi, Rex should."

"But Master Yoda! He is obviously too old."

"Not much older than knight Skywalker when he came to the Temple."

“Precisely Master Fisto." Obi Wan nodded."And With the Council's blessing, I would like to take him on as my Learner."

"I don’t know about that, Master Kenobi," Windu stroked his chin, eyeing Rex carefully. "You are already close to Rex and you struggle with attachment as it is."

Rex noticed the way Obi Wan straightened at that and opened his door that lead to _Kenobi_ , he felt the brush of embarrassment and irritation flowing off the older Jedi before it was abruptly silenced. "That may be so, but there is a measure of trust and comfort needed between Master and Padawan that might be difficult for Rex to develop with another Jedi."

"Why is that?"

"Well, one might start with the way we are discussing his future with him in the room without inviting him to be a part of it and not once has the good Captain thought to take issue with that." Rex felt the heavy gaze of several members of the council settle on him. "Those of you that lead troops know how deferential the men are to us Jedi. Rex will struggle to break out of that mindset as it is." He turned an apologetic look at Rex for talking about him as if he weren’t present. "And not one of _you_ have thought to ask him what _he_ might want."

Rex blinked. Even as Obi Wan spoke he hadn’t anticipated being drawn into the conversation. Still. Everyone was looking at him now and he shifted on his feet, uncomfortable.

"Right, Master Kenobi is. Rex, wish to become a Jedi, do you?"

Rex hesitated longer than he knew was appropriate, trying to force himself to express an opinion in the room with so many superior officers. He felt a nudge in his mind through his open door with Kenobi and tightened his hand around his wrist, taking a deep breath.

“I don’t know,” he said finally, forcing his feet firmer into the ground and averting his gaze to just slightly over Mace Windu’s right shoulder. “I’m a soldier. I’ve…only ever been a soldier.”

“A soldier you are. A Jedi, you could learn to be.” 

“Is that what you want?” Master Windu shifted to the right to be in Rex’s eyeline and Rex remembered rather suddenly that Ponds, the vod who had taught Rex that particular trick, served directly under Windu.

Rex bit his lip, choosing his words carefully. “A weapon is more dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to use it. I’m-”

“The Force is not a weapon!”

Rex jerked to face the voice, the rather severe looking Besalisk who hadn't spoken up yet was giving him a dark look and Rex felt ice shoot down his spine.

“I know that.” He turned back to Masters Yoda and Windu who were, somehow, less intimidating. “I know the Force isn’t a weapon. But it is powerful. People who can access it are powerful. I’ve…learned a lot. From Gen-,” he cut himself off at the sharp nudge from Kenobi, going so far as to glance at him out of the corner of his eye, but the Jedi stared back at him serenely. “From Master Kenobi. And from the Voice itself, but-”

“The Voice?” Master Fisto tilted his head, wide black eyes blinking slowly.

“Yes,” Obi Wan stepped forward. “Rex is able to communicate directly with the Force. It’s how he was able to perform a rather remarkable act of healing for one of our senior Medics a few rotations ago. Without Rex and ‘the Voice’ the man surely would have died from his injuries.”

There was a ripple of interest and surprise through the room at that.

“How interesting.” Shaak Ti said with a warm smile. Rex swallowed and resisted looking at the floor like a shy cadet. The attention in the room returned to Rex and he realized he hadn’t yet answered the question. 

“Yes well, Kix wouldn’t have been hurt in the first place if I’d been able to control my powers,” he swallowed again, amazed at how dry his mouth could feel when he was sure his blacks were soaked in a cold sweat. “Masters, I don’t know if I want to be a Jedi. I honestly am not sure I’d be any good at it. But I do want to control this enough to keep my brother’s safe.”

“As a Jedi you would learn such control.” Master Fisto spoke up again, his webbed fingers steepled in front of him. Rex noticed his lekku twitched more than General Secura’s. “And perhaps you could teach us as well. I have a few things I’d like to discuss with the Force myself.” There was a smile in his voice and many of the Jedi in the room chuckled at a joke Rex felt like he was missing.

“Settled it is. Train as a Jedi, you shall.”

“A clone Jedi,” the same council member who’d scoffed from the beginning shifted in his chair, exchanging a look with the Besalisk. “The Senate will have a field day.”

“A Jedi affair, this is.”

“But the Senate will have an opinion.”

“They have an opinion on everything. Very few of them are worth repeating.”

“Imagine, a Jedi with the battle experience and training of a clone!”

“It is an interesting prospect. We’ve lost many Jedi to the war. Clones with the Force would be a better solution than sending Padawans out younger and younger.”

“Better is a poor choice of words. You forget how young the Clones are themselves. And either way, a sentient is risking its life.”

“Besides,” The Besalisk’s booming voice trampled over the tumbling arguments of the other Masters and Rex was pinned under that icy glare again. “Who’s to say there are others? Perhaps this one clone is… _unique_.”

Rex got the distinct impression this Jedi did not use the word as a compliment. He tightened his fingers around the edge of his bucket, wishing he were wearing it.

“That is true,” Master Windu nodded, “Are there others, Rex?”

Rex stiffened but Kenobi sent him a wave of Calm, clearing his throat to call the attention to himself again.

“Learner Rex is not comfortable divulging that information until we have an update on the investigation on Kamino.”

With that the room turned to the flickering holo image of Shaak Ti and Rex finally felt relaxed enough to unclench his jaw and let his shoulders drop from beside his ears.

“I am sad to report I was able to corroborate all the information Learner Rex gave me regarding the punishing of Cadets deemed ‘defective’.” She spat the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth and Rex felt his heart swell with love for the woman. The Togruta continued, glaring into the middle distance in front of her. “I have managed to get them to put a temporary pause on all decommissioning and reconditioning orders for now, but I am not sure how long it will last. The Masterchief has reached out to the Kaminoan representatives on the Senate in efforts to get support for the practice.” 

Rex watched in fascination as the lekku on Master Fisto began to twitch restlessly and Master Yoda’s ears lowered, an exhausted, pained look on his wrinkled face. The frown line between Master Windu’s eyebrows deepened and he feltthat dry heat coming from Kenobi again that he realized now was a sharp burst of anger.

“They continue to argue that the clones are their product and 'quality control' is protected under patent law. I do not see how we can argue against that, despite how offensive the idea is of calling sentient men a product. As if they were a herd of prized Fathier and not a race of humans.” 

Rex listened with half an ear as the Jedidiscussed the problem, though it was obvious they didn't have a leg to stand on as far as the Senate was concerned. He drifted somewhat, the way he would when General Skywalker and Kenobi were arguing over battle plans, working the problem over in his own mind in case he was called upon for input. There was a feeling from the Voice, not so much words as the impression of memories floating through his mind. Snippets of conversation and news articles he'd read until slowly, an idea rose to the surface.

But no one had asked for his opinion, so he didn’t speak up.

Which made it all the more unexpected when each Jedi in the room turned to face him.

“Learner Rex, something to say, have you?"

“Oh. Um.” He began, shifting his bucket to his other hip. Kenobi smiled encouragingly so he forced himself to continue in the confident tone he would use in a briefing. "Well, I think the problem is you presented it as a moral issue. It’s not to the Kaminoans. It’s an economic one. Decommissioning is expensive. And not just because they lose years of work and training that have gone into a clone. If you put a price on it, that might change their minds.”

“It is a crude argument.” Shaak Ti muttered darkly.

"But it might work.” Kenobi was nodding, thoughtfully rubbing his beard. Rex noticed he hadn’t gone to take his seat even though they were done talking about him, and he was privately thankful the man hadn’t left him standing in the middle of the room all alone. “Sometimes the outcome is more important than how you got there."

"A dark path, that is." Master Yoda said, pursing his lips thoughtfully.

“Yes Master.” Rex nodded. “War often is."

Mace smiled a little. "You may have some competition for your ‘negotiator’ title, Master Kenobi."

Most of the Jedi chuckled softly at that and after a small amused wave from Kenobi himself, Rex allowed himself to join them.

* * *

There wasn’t much time after that to discuss his training with Master Kenobi. Almost immediatly after meeting with the council there was a tip from an informant that there was an impending attack on Tipoca City. Liberty was cut short and the 212th and 501st were in the air on their way to the Kaminoan home planet as fast as their Hyperdrives could carry them. The trip was spent in long strategy meetings and trying to make sense of decoded intel, Rex didn’t even have a chance to think about his new title as Learner until Obi Wan caught his arm in the hallway a few hours before their arrival.

“Rex, I am aware the timing is not ideal, but am I correct in assuming you’ve not yet spoken to Anakin yet about…everything?”

Rex sighed, he just wanted to rack out and get a few hours of shuteye before the engagement. He did _not_ want to deal with Jedi osik right now.

“That’s correct, General.”

“Rex, please. Use my name.”

Rex shook his head. “No sir. I’ve agreed to be your Learner. Your Padawan, if that’s what that means. But right now we’re about to head into a tough battle. I need to be Captain Rex right now. And I cannot in good conscience bring an issue with the potential to distract him to my General’s door at this time.”

Obi Wan looked slightly taken aback, but after a moment he nodded. “Yes. Yes of course, you’re right. But, you will have to tell him. Soon.”

Rex nodded. “I know. I plan to, when all this is over. It’ll…be good. I hope.”

“Me too, Rex.” Kenobi smiled, reaching out to squeeze Rex’s arm at the gap between his elbow guard and bracer. “Now go get some sleep. We’ll see you planet side.”

“Aye sir.”

* * *

Rex hadn’t realized Ventress was here. He hadn’t even thought to ask the Voice and didn't know if it would have told him if he had.

Now he watched her slice her way down the hall, brothers dropping in her wake, their warm lights going dark and cold far, far too fast. She didn’t seem to see or hear him barreling down the hallway toward her, didn’t even notice him, as concentrated as she was with holding Colt against the wall by his neck.

Briefly the memory of being in the exact same position all that time ago on Teth flashed through his mind. With a burst of white hot anger Rex felt a sudden otherworldly power flood his limbs and he narrowed his eyes, picking up speed. He dropped his shoulder and jumped, farther, faster than he ever had before and then he was slamming into Colt’s side, sending them both flying into the ground away from Ventress’ waiting lightsaber.

Th Sith hissed her displeasure and Rex sat up, jamming his fingers quickly at Colt’s throat and felt a thready pulse from his unconscious vod before he was yanked backwards by a pressure on his neck. 

Rex really hated that. 

“You clones are all so pathetic.”

Rex clawed instinctively at the pressure on his neck, despite knowing it to be futile.

_(Little One, look.)_

Rex’s feet reached for the floor as Ventress slowly turned him around to face her but the durasteel plates brushed just barely past his toes. He fought down the rising panic as his chest started to ache.

“All so eager to save each other from death.”

_(Look up. See what is around you.)_

How was he supposed to look around? He couldn’t _breathe_.

“Don’t you know? Death is what you were made for.”

Ventress ignited her saber again and the red light from Rex’s nightmares jumpstarted his brain. She was pulling him forward, as she’d done to Colt, her sword aimed straight for his chest plate.

_(Child look!)_

Rex did, his eyes danced frantically, there was something here. Something he could use, somehow,if he could just breathe maybe he’d be able to think clearly and see whatever it was-

There!

With the last dregs of his energy Rex thrust out his right hand and _pulled_.

With a soft thud he felt a pressure in his palm and _painpaindeathcold,_ he grit his teeth and flicked his thumb across hilt of Ventress’ second saber. It ignited with a screeching thrum and he frantically deflected the blade she had pointed at his chest.

In her surprise Ventress’ concentration broke and she dropped him. Rex stumbled but stayed upright, backing away as he lifted the _painburninghowlingscreaming_ sword toward her with one hand and rubbed his neck with the other.

“You!” Ventress scowled before she seemed to take stock of the situation more fully and it morphed into a condescending smile. “The clone who likes to play Jedi. How cute.” She cocked her hip. “I will enjoy cutting you to pieces.”

Rex put both hands on the hilt of the saber, pushing away the anguish that seemed to emanate from the blade itself and raised it in his best approximation of a defensive position.

“We’ll see about that.”

Ventress laughed and lunged toward him. Rex blew his doors wide open and _begged_.

_(Listen.)_

Rex did.

The voice said block high left, Rex blocked high left. The voice said jump then duck, Rex jumped then ducked.

It was clumsy, not nearly as acrobatic as Commander Tano and far too much defense to be like Kenobi or Skywalker, but he was alive. Rex could also see the smile on Ventress’ face. She was toying with him and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last.

Suddenly power swept through the corridor like the charge in the air that followed a lightning strike and both Rex and Ventress looked up.

“Rex! Here!”

Rex had never been so happy to see his General. Quickly he backed off from Ventress and deactivated the saber to throw it over Ventress’ head to Anakin’s outstretched hand.

“No!” The Sith raised her own hand and the saber stopped in mid air.

“Go Rex! I got this!” Anakin said through gritted teeth, tugging the floating saber toward himself, it twitched but, for the moment, the two Force users were evenly matched. 

Rex did not need to be told twice. He turned on his heel and ran the other direction, pulling up his comm as he did.

“All Units report!”

_“Captain, this is Leutenint Jesse. Fives, Echo and I are with 99 and some cadets in the barracks, we’ve got a plan.”_

Rex took a sharp right at the next hallway intersection.

  
  
“On my way!”

* * *

99 was sprawled on the ground in Echo’s lap. Echo and Fives both had their helmets off, happy tears streaming down their faces as they checked their ori’vod again for injuries.

“I told you I could do it.” 99 said, a bit out of breath from his run but smiling.

Echo nodded. “Yeah, you did, soldier. You did great.”

Jesse took his helmet off, frowning. He was glad 99 was alive but, he glanced back where the man had been running before he seemed to trip and narrowly avoid the dorid’s blaster fire, something wasn’t adding up.He looked up and saw Rex standing in the doorway.

The Captain lifted a hand.

_All clear. Question._

Jesse glanced around. Echo and Fives were sitting up with 99. Throughout the room troopers had pulled aside cadets in groups of two and three. Some had gone quiet, their huge round eyes looking spaced out and distant. Others were still keyed up, talking too fast and loud. To a man the adult troopers had pulled them aside, ready to provide comfort to those that needed it and a safe place to land for the ones that were still flying.

He turned back.

_Affirmative_.

The Captain nodded once and turned to leave.

And Jesse was left wondering how 99 managed to end up twenty feet from where he tripped and fell.

* * *

Later, on board the Resolute in a smallish storage behind the engine bay, a room so loud and hot even the most curious of natborn officers never ventured there, there were crates stacked in various configurations almost resembling seating, and a on old, forgotten ion thrust coupling on it’s side near the wall. The Officer's Lounge, as it was known. Men who were curious about bartending, or had lost a bet, made drinks from alcohol that had been brewed from just about anything that would ferment and everyone else came to drink and relax and decompress and forget about life for a while. 

Fives and Echo were there with a crowd of brothers, celebrating their soon to be ARC promotion and training, and another knot of troopers was singing loudly along to a weak transmission of a pop song that was coming through on the one working radio that someone had managed to come by.

Cody and Rex sat in a back corner in a shadow that afforded a measure of privacy. Cody had his head bent close to his brother’s, listening as Rex told him with a small voice and haunted eyes about facing off against Ventress again. He nodded along and squeezed his neck and teased until Rex was smiling instead of shaking.

It was about then that their corner got more crowded by two additional brother's.

"I would like to apologize in advance for him," Kix said, dropping down across from the two senior officers, "and go on record as having nothing to do with this."

"With what?"

"So...anything you want to tell us, Cap?" Jesse slid in beside Kix and pushed two beers across the table as payment.

"Not particularly Jesse." Rex said, taking a pull on the fresh drink.

“You’re sure? Because the way I see it one second 99 was about to get mowed down by a spray of bolts and the next he "tripped" and flew halfway across the room."

Rex stared at him.

"I didn’t say anything." Kix grumbled glaring down into his drink.

"Im right aren’t I? I'm right. Holy kriff. _Holy kriff!_ Cap's a Jedi."

"Jesse!" Kix hissed.

"Im not a Jedi."

Jesse rolled his eyes, unfazed. "Okay fine. Force sensitive. Force user. Whatever, Captain's a Force user."

"Jesse!" Kix said again, elbowing the man viciously in his side.

_“What?"_

Kix gave a meaningful look to the brothers mingling around and the stiff way Rex was sitting. Not to mention the Martial Commander's death glare.

Jesse raised his hands in defense. "Okay okay Imm sorry. Look," he bent his head low and lowered his voice. "Can't you just do something? Use the Force for something? Just as a demonstration?"

"You want to shut up and go away." Rex said dryly, waving his hand in a clumsy and obvious parody of when Anakin and Ahsoka did the same to push thoughts into someone's head.

Cody chuckled and Kix swallowed a smile with his drink.

"Fine," Jesse sat back, looking positively pouty. "Just wanted to have a little fun, Court Martial me why don'tcha."

Rex's grin turned slightly sinister as Jesse sulked and lifted his drink to his lips. Subtly, Rex flicked the fingers not wrapped around his drink and Jesse's cup suddenly jerked and splashed in his face.

"Agh!" Jesse sputtered, "what the kriff!"

Cody and Kix both dissolved in laughter, Kix pounding the table with the force of his giggles and Cody practically vibrating out of his shell.

Jesse gave a betrayed look to his Captain, who smirked into his drink.

"Just having a bit of fun, LT." Rex said, grinning as Cody turned to press his face into Rex's shoulder guard. "Court Martial me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a more in depth description of The Officer's Lounge, you can read [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28444536).


	4. Supply Lines and Hunt for Ziro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex meets the infamous Quinlan Vos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The return of hurt/comfort, my bread and butter.

“Rex, I wasn’t expecting you, come in.” Anakin tipped his head and turned to allow the Captain entry to his quarters.

Rex stepped inside but kept close to the doors resisting the urge to go into Parade rest. He’d toyed briefly with the idea of wearing his armor, but in the end Kenobi’s voice in his head (really his voice, not just the idea of it, and that was certainly taking some getting used to) had advised against him appearing too formal. Instead he arrived in his off-duty Reds, feeling unmoored and awkward without the reassuring weight of his shell on his skin.

“General, I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Nah Rex, you know me. I don’t sleep much.”

“Yes sir.” Rex did know that. And part of him worried if he learned to be a Jedi he might be prone to the same fool-hardy, medbay-avoiding, The-Force-Will-Protect-Me ways of the Jedi in his life.

“So, what’s up?” Anakin had gone back to sitting on his bunk and was hunched over some sort of droid circuit board in his lap.

“I wanted to give you a personelle update. I’m not sure if you’ve see the request come through yet…notifying my temporary transfer to the 212th?” He’d already spoken to Jesse, who understood the situation fully thanks to their conversation in the Officer’s Lounge (and another more sober talk later) and he had no problem trusting the man with his Battalion. That didn’t stop Rex from feeling uneasy about leaving them behind.

It was even odds whether Anakin had seen the transfer orders, and Rex wasn’t sure which one would make for an easier conversation. But Anakin deserved to hear it from him.

His General looked up at him through his sloppy brown hair with eyes so impossibly blue Rex wondered how he ever managed to forget how young his General really was.

“Did I do something wrong, Rex?” There was no surprise in his question, just layers of hurt and worry that were reflected in his eyes and voice and tore at Rex’s heart.

“No.” He assured him immediately, taking an aborted step forward. “No you didn’t, it’s not you at all. I just…we just thought it might be better. Easier.”

“Why?” Anakin’s eyes remained steady on him, but the tiny screwdriver in his hand bobbed nervously the air. Rex wondered what his shields must be like if Rex couldn’t feel anything coming from him in the Force.

“Because. General Kenobi is going to be training. Me. From now on.”

The screwdriver paused and Anakin’s nose wrinkled. “Training you. For what? Some kind of special mission?”

Rex couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped him, partially due to nerves and partially because that was what he’d been calling it in his own head to get used to the idea. His special ‘Become a Jedi' mission.

“Sort of. I’m, that is, I can…use the Force.” He licked his lips, taking a half a step forward and then, feeing uncertain, stepped back again. "I'm to be General Kenobi's...trainee." He trailed off awkwardly. It still felt strange to call himself a Padawan.

“Trainee. You mean…” Anakin went quiet, a small frown appearing between his eyebrows and Rex suddenly felt the air in the room grow heavy and the brush of that after thunderstorm rainy breeze against his mind.

Biting his lip and with a deep breath, Rex allowed himself to open up to his General’s presence.

And for the first time in his life he felt _Anakin Skywalker_.

He was a bit like free falling during zero gravity training. His head felt partially blinded for a moment, a solar flare through unshielded windows on a cruiser. Painfully bright and frightfully warm, Rex felt his bones had turned to lead, dragging him toward the floor. He had the inexplicable urge to shield his eyes while wanting to clutch tighter to the buzzing heat of Anakin’s presence, even if it meant the very atoms of his body would be torn apart.

Rex didn’t realize how deep he’d fallen into the Force until he felt strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, jarring him out of it.

“Rex! You’re…oh man, this is amazing!” Anakin pulled back and his grin was almost as blinding as his presence in the Force. "Do you know what this means? If Obi Wan trains you that makes us like...brothers, Rex! This is so wizard. I always wanted a brother!"

Rex smiled back, overwhelmed and a little bewildered. "I'm glad you're glad, sir."

"No no, not sir. I mean, well I guess I'll still outrank you but...Force I'm so excited!" He pulled Rex in for another hug and Rex chuckled, raising an arm to pat him on the back.

"Me too, sir.”

"Anakin, Rex. Call me Anakin." He insisted, muffled against Rex's shoulder.

Rex nodded. "Right. Anakin."

* * *

One of the advantages of having an army of clones that almost exclusively wore helmets where the public could see them, was that it wasnt exactly common knowledge what they looked like.

Which made it rather easy for a couple of clones to go on an undercover intel gathering mission as natborn twins looking to cash in on the Republic bounty for a high ranking missing Hutt.

Rex and Cody lounged with practiced ease at a table in the middle of the smokey bar with a dozen and a half patrons pretending not to look at them and the reprogrammed protocol droid bartender.

"She's with Padme?"

"Yeah. Skywalker thought maybe she could learn more about politics with her."

"Hm," Cody sipped his second drink, taking full advantage of his genetically enhanced metabolism to play his role. "You worried?"

"Skywalker gives her a lot of freedom. Seems to forget she's just a youngling." Brown eyes darted to the exit behind Cody's left shoulder and the mysterious door behind the bar a black Chagrian had just slipped out of.

"A Jedi youngling." Cody pointed out. He leaned back in his chair, tension across his shoulders and arms that was at odds with his seemingly relaxed pose. Rex noticed the careful way he wasn’t looking toward the booth just out of his range of vision. 

"Doesn’t mean as much as you'd think.” Rex scoffed, toying with his empty glass.

"Yeah, well, you would know. Hows that going anyway?" Cody knocked his boot against his brother’s, drawing his attention to the near human with red eyes who'd just walked in.

"Fine," Rex nodded, shifting so his hand rested casually near his thigh holster. "Your General dumped about a half dozen pads in my bunk before we left. Jedi lessons I've missed the past decade apparently."

The bar had gone quiet and Rex locked eyes with his brother’s. A tightening of the shoulders. One. A tip of the head. Two. A twitch of an eyebrows and a smirk.

Three.

As one they leapt out of their chairs, going back to back as if rehearsed. Rex shoved the blaster that was thrust into his face aside and he heard the sound of another hitting the floor behind him.

  
Cody hit like a hammer and his opponents rarely stayed up to be hit twice (Gamorreans and beings with exoskeletons not withstanding), but Rex didn’t typically get his jollies off by hitting droids in the face with his bare hands. He didn’t even fight hand-to-hand that often except for the odd Seppie squad of natborns and sparring with brothers. And that wasn’t so much about training as it was putting himself in a place and setting where his men would feel comfortable approaching him if they needed to.

None of that meant he couldn’t hold his own. 17 made sure of that the very first day of ARC training when Rex had spent more time on the flat of his back than he had his feet. Add to that most of the scum and villainy of the universe were used to slugging it out with drunk bar brawlers or intimidated civilians, not born and bred soldiers taught to fight since they were two months old and learned to walk. 

Rex had flattened two Quarrens and an extremely wiley Dug before he had a beat to check on Cody. Cody’s area of the bar was littered with more bodies than his, most groaning or swearing our out cold on the dirt floor. A Klatooinian had Cody in a headlock and Rex started to leap over a chair to run over to his defense when strong arms wrapped around him from behind, clamping down on his arms like a vice.

Rex slammed his head back but whoever, or whatever, had him didn’t seem to notice. His chest started to feel constricted as his attacker continued to tighten their hold, pinning his arms at his sides and his breathing came with more effort with each inhale. He kicked and threw his weight, trying to get free, all to no avail.

On the other side of the room Cody had gotten out of the headlock but wasn’t quite free yet and had his back to the door. A glint of light caught his eye and Rex realized one of the Devaronians Cody had knocked out had come to and pulled a long dagger out of his boot.

“Cody.” He tried to shout, but he barely had enough breath to stay conscious, let alone warn his brother. “Cody!”

It was no use. Cody couldn’t hear him and the Devaronian grinned a smile full of yellowed, sharpened teeth. Rex felt one of his ribs give way under the pressure of vice grip around him.

The dagger raised higher. Cody still wasn’t looking up.

Rex felt the panic coming at him like a wall of water on the shore. He was powerless to stop it, to escape it, to think beyond it. His lungs ached and Cody wasn’t watching and Ventress was choking him (no not Ventress she’s not here, she’s not) and Cody was going to be stabbed (he could die, Cody could die because you didn’t protect him). Where was the Voice? Was it talking? Would it help him? If he could just focus, just breathe for a moment if he could outrun the wave then he could stop this, he could protect him

“Cody!”

Rex _reached_. Arms passed to his side, chest constricted, ribs breaking, he _reached_ for his brother.

The next thing Rex knew he was on his knees and his ears were ringing. Pressure on his shoulders had him jerking back, swinging clumsy fists at his attacker. The pressure became hands that steadied him and pulled him against a solid chest.

He smelled dust and blaster oil and GAR regulation soap and brought his hands up to grip Cody’s shirt.

“You back with me?”

_No_.

Rex nodded and Cody pulled back, looking over him briefly before taking his arm and pulling him toward the door.

“Good, we need to go, I already called our ride.”

The bar had gone eerily silent. Rex gazed around as he was dragged away. Every sentient in the room was limp and pressed up against the wall, as if shoved violently across the room. The glasses had all been shattered, including those that used to be windows and dust from collapsed furniture hung thick in the air.

“Cody. Did I do this?”

Cody pursed his lips and kept dragging him forward. “Yeah, Rex.”

Rex shook his head. “I don’t remember.” Cody let go of his arm and Rex fell into step behind him as they wove their way through the shadows outside, pressed close to buildings and ducking down dark alleys on their way back to the rendezvous.

“Why weren’t you hurt too?”

Cody looked at him. “You’re the one that did it, don’t you know?”

Rex just shrugged and shook his head. They didn’t say anything else until they caught sight of the Twilight lowering into a clearing near the edge of town. It hovered just above the ground and Cody ran and leapt up onto the half descended ramp. Rex tried to follow suit but the effort of jumping caused his cracked ribs to finish shifting out of place and he spasmed, failing to catch himself and instead landing hard on the edge of the ramp.

White exploded in Rex’s vision and he wasn’t sure if his scream of pained surprise was out loud or in his head. Hands were there immediately, dragging him up and Rex did his best to curl in on himself to protect the grinding bones in his chest.

“Calm down Rex, you’re safe. You’re safe.” Kenobi said, first out loud and then along their bond. He got no acknowledgement either way.

Rex's eyes were clamped shut, arms wrapped around himself. Cody and his General exchanged a glance.

“Help me take him to the medbay, Cody.”

Cody nodded and knelt down to draw Rex’s arm over his shoulders and they helped him down the Twilight’s narrow hallways to a bunk room that stored all their medical supplies.

_“Geez, Cody, what did you two do? We’re drawing a lot more attention on the way out than we did on the way in, and not the good kind.”_ Skywalker’s voice came across the ship wide intercom sounding a little frazzled, and more gleeful than he had any right to. _“I could use a hand with the weapons systems up here!”_

“Go, I’ll take care of him.”

Cody nodded and gave Rex’s knee a quick squeeze before he disappeared back the way they’d come. When Kenobi looked back down Rex had his eyes open staring straight at him.

“Rex?”

Instead of answering Rex grabbed Obi Wan's hand, gripping tightly.

“I could’t feel them.” He admitted, sounding shaken.

“Couldn’t feel who?” 

Rex’s lips started to tremble and he forced himself to take a deep enough breath it had to have pulled at his broken ribs.

“Any of them. I panicked. Like always. There was a man, he was going to kill Cody…I don’t know what happened but I think…I think I might have…” He gasped, jarring his ribs again and his face twisted in pain.

“Alright, everything’s okay, Rex. Right now, I just want you to relax. I need to start the scan and activate the med droid. When you’re sorted out physically, we’ll deal with what happened on the planet.”

“Please.”

Kenobi stilled from where he’d started to pull away. “What is it, Rex?”

Rex stared up at him, silent tears streaming out of his eyes. Their hands shook from the force of Rex’s grip.

“I’m scared, Master.” He whispered, barely audible. Suddenly Obi Wan wasn’t looking at a clone captain. He wasn’t looking into the pained face of a soldier in over his head. He was staring into the eyes of a small slave boy who’d been awakened by nightmares, far from home, missing his mother and desperately alone in the universe.

“I know.” Obi Wan brought his other hand up to rest against the top of Rex’s head, brushing his thumb lightly across his forehead. “But you’re not alone. We will get through this together.”

* * *

Rex had been allowed to spend his his recovery outside of the medbay as long as he agreed to abide by Coric’s orders for Light duty and no ‘Jedi osik’for at least one tenday. The ribs had been reset and knitted but the healing was fragile for the first standard week. It had already been four days and there was another three before they would arrive at Coruscant.

Rex had spent the majority of his time reviewing Initiate Lessons on his pad and in meditation with Kenobi. The Jedi had him sinking deep into the Force daily, accessing Rex’s memory of the incident in the bar. Kenobi lead him through recovery techniques he’d learned from his own Mind Healer. Together they broke down each moment and Rex’s emotions at that time, trying to pinpoint the moment panic started to take over and reworking it. Each time Rex used more control, practiced releasing his emotions to the Force,learned to control himself, and the Panic, a bit more.

Rex still felt guilt gnawing at him over the lives he worried he’d snuffed out, but Kenobi was determined to work on that with him too. 

_“Guilt serves but one purpose.”_ He'd said, eyes closed, that special brand of Jedi Serene on his face that drove troopers crazy, _“To teach us a lesson. Once that lesson has been learned, release it to the Force.”_

_“Yes Obi Wan.”_

_“And Rex. You can’t protect everyone.”_

That one was harder to swallow.

_"Yes Obi Wan."_

And Rex tried. He really tried.

He thought and pushed and meditated until he worried he might turn himself inside out. He had barely moved in four days and yet he couldn’t remember a time since ARC training when he’d been this tired.

But despite his best efforts his mind swirled with guilt and worry and _'the first Jedi temple was established on Ahch-To in approximately 25,000 BBY'_ and he couldn't sleep. 

He wasn’t built for sitting still. The walls of his new cabin were starting to close in.

Thank the Force, the sound of his door chime drew him out of his insomnia driven musings.

He dragged his eyes off their preferred spot in the ceiling where the plating on the wall met the ceiling and the unknown stain there, and looked over at his door. It was the middle of the night, and he wasn't technically directly over any troops at the moment, so he couldn't imagine why someone would be looking for him.

The sound of his door chime went off again, followed by a knock.

Frowning, he glanced at his comm, but didn’t see any missed messages. He crossed the room and swiped open the door. In the corridor he was faced with Ahsoka, a small frown between her white markings.

“What is wrong, Rex?”

“Sir?” He said, too confused to correct himself.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Well there must be something? And I’d rather you just tell me so we can work it out because I just finished the mission with Padme, tomorrow I leave for a tutoring assignment on Mandalore and I’m _exhausted_ and you’re keeping me awake with all of your,” she gestured at him and his bunk and apparently, his general existence, “mental pacing.” 

Rex reached up to scratch his neck. “Sorry. I didn’t realize.”

Ahsoka took a deep breath and smiled, stretching her neck from side to side. “It’s okay. Those deep dive meditation sessions with Obi Wan can be intense.”

Rex nodded. “You have no idea.”

“You’d be surprised.” Ahsoka crossed her arms and leaned a shoulder against the bulkhead. “So is it helping?”

Rex shrugged. “I guess.”

Ahsoka gave him a knowing smile and then shook her head just slightly, her slika beads brushing against her lekku.

“Come with me Rexter.” She tipped her head and then turned, starting down the corridor.

With nothing better to do and no desire to go back to staring at the strange mark on his ceiling, Rex followed without another word.

She led him to one of the _Negotiator’s_ Jedi training Salles. Rex had been to them a few times, but always along the edges, watching Anakin and Ahsoka or Obi Wan spar. Tonight, Ahsoka lead him right out to the middle of the mats.

She raised one hand and two long straight sticks that were leaning against the wall flew to her palm. She tossed one to Rex.

He caught it and looked at her. “What’s this for?”

“Meditation.” She answered, coming to stand beside him, twirling her stick casually in one hand.

Rex wrinkled his nose. “That’s all I’ve been doing for the last four days.”

“Yeah, but not like this. Skyguy prefers what he calls moving mediation. It’s good for clearing out the mind and tiring out the body. Almost better than those little pink pills Kix hands out.”

Rex raised an eyebrow and she laughed. “I said ‘almost’. Okay, now do what I do and try your best to follow my movements. I’m gonna teach you the first set of katas. Focus on precision, think about the way your body works, how it’s connected, to you and the Force.”

Rex watched and followed Ahsoka’s instructions carefully and after a few minutes he found it actually did work. It gave him something to think about. The pull of his muscles and stretch in his joints scratching a bone deep itch he’d been ignoring for days and his mind quieted. They kept their swings low, for Rex’s ribs, and they were both slightly out of breath, a little bit sweaty and smiling just under an hour later.

“Better?”

Rex nodded.

Ahoska took the training sabers and exchanged them for towels and a couple water bottles. “You picked those up really quick. I taught you most of the basic moves, it takes most Padawans almost half a year to learn all of them. You’ll need more practice but…it’s still impressive.”

“Most Padawans probably haven’t spent the majority of their lives honing their hand-eye coordination and practicing how to pick up and use various weapons on short notice.” Rex pointed out.

Ahsoka titled her head in acknowledgment and flopped down gracelessly to the mat, Rex settled with much more purpose a few feet away.

"Are you gonna get a braid?” Ahsoka asked from the flat of her back a few minutes later, when her body was no longer buzzing from the workout.

“What?” Rex looked up from where he had his head nearly pressed to the floor between his legs in a deep stretch.

“A Padawan braid.” She reached up to fiddle with her silka beads for emphasis.

Rex frowned. “I don’t know. Is it important?”

Ahsoka shrugged and sat up, spinning around to face him and crossed her legs. Rex sat up and mimicked her pose.  
  
“Yeah. I guess so. It’s traditional. It tells everyone in the Order when you were chosen and what your focus is. It’s…kinda like rank insignia.”

Rex nodded. “Kenobi hasn’t really mentioned it.” He reached up to run a hand over his buzzcut. “I don’t have much hair.”

Ahsoka tilted her head with a smirk. “Neither have I.”

“Yeah, well I don’t think beads would feel very good under the bucket.”

Ahsoka nodded, tilting her head back and tapped her chin in a move a bit reminiscent of Kenobi. A sparkle of mirth floated out from him in the Force and Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at him.

“What?”

He just shook his head. “Nothing.”

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes but dropped the subject. “Whatever. I think I have an idea. I’ll try to stop by your quarters before I leave tomorrow.” She grinned and hopped up, running out of the training Salle like a youngling.

Rex just shrugged and went back to his stretching.

_Jetti are weird._

The Voice laughed around him and Rex smiled.

* * *

Rex hadn’t been entirely sure about the woven cord Ahsoka had made for him but she’d looked so hopeful when she handed it to him, he couldn’t reject it.

_“I thought you could attach it to the back of your helmet,”_ she’d said, _“At least until your hair grows. If you decide to do a real braid later.”_

Rex had just nodded, thankful none of the Jedi were pushing him to stop wearing his armor. It showed more understanding than he anticipated, of the way he and the men viewed their shells. They weren’t just about protecting them from blasters. There was identity and safety wrapped up in it that went beyond anything the Kaminoans had engineered it for.

Even if some stretching after getting kitted up in his quarters later had proven what the Jedi always claimed about armor preventing some of the more acrobatic movements included in lightsaber battle.

That was beside the point.

So Rex had attached the short woven braid his vod’ika had made for him to his bucket. He’d listened carefully as she’d explained in an oddly shy, halting voice what the colors meant.

_“Yellow for weapons, and because Obi Wan chose you before your 13th birthday. And red for piloting. Like me.”_

He’d been worried what his brothers would think. Worried that wearing the braid would put a chasm between him and them that he’d been trying to bridge since he was decanted with a head of blonde hair in a sea of brown.

But that morning on Coruscant when Cody saw it or the first time he smiled and his chest puffed out slightly in pride. He grabbed Rex at the juncture where his neck met his shoulder, squeezing gently in that reassuring way he used to when Rex was still head and shoulders smaller than him and nervous about what might be hiding around every corner.

Rex let Cody steer him over to where Obi Wan was waiting on the landing pad.

“Is, this okay? Ahsoka gave it to me but I didn’t know if there was some sort of ritual or something…” Rex shrugged, holding his helmet awkwardly for the Jedi to inspect. Cody squeezed his neck again.

Obi Wan's smile was strange and small. He pushed a sensation of deep pleasure and peace along their bond.

“More than okay, Padawan mine.”

Rex gaped at hearing the nickname he’d heard used for Anakin, usually with a measure of fond exasperation, being directed toward himself with such tenderness he felt unexpected tears prick the backs of his eyes. He swallowed hard and jammed his bucket on his head.

“Good.” He responded quietly. Cody chuckled next to him and Rex nudged him roughly with his elbow.

They all turned toward the sound of a gunship approaching from the west.

“You’re sure this is necessary?” Rex asked around a sigh, watching warily as the ship grew closer. Obi wan hadn’t spoken often of Quinlan Vos, but when he had the way he’d described him had always sounded like the man was some sort of strange Jedi mix of Fives humor, Hardcase exuberance for trouble and Anakin’s penchant for jumping off things.

Rex was getting a headache already.

Obi Wan chuckled. “He’s not that bad.”

Rex projected the image of a raised eyebrow at him.

“Alright.” Obi Wan conceded with a shrug. “Maybe he is. But he is a master of Psychometry and it’s not one of my strong points. I’m not confident in my ability to train you adequately in that skill.”

“I’m doing fine.”

Obi Wan raised an eyebrow of his own. “So I imagined the nausea and blinding headache you were feeling during the unscheduled Hostile Boarding drill we ran the other morning? When you didn’t have a chance to put on your gloves before you grabbed _your own_ pistols? Just imagine if you’d had to grab someone elses!”

Rex winced. “Point taken.”

They both looked up and watched Quinlan leap from the open gunship door at far, far too high a height.

“Di’kutla Jetii.” Rex grumbled when the man landed with a crouch and a shit-eating grin.

_*Quacta calling the Stifling slimy.*_ Kenobi’s voice smirked in his head.

_*I’m not a Jedi.*_

_*Not yet.*_

Rex dipped his chin politely as Kenobi introduced him.

“Good to see you Commander,” Quinlan greeted Cody before turning to Rex. “Ah, the Clone Jedi I’ve been hearing so much about?”

“My name is Rex.” Rex corrected through gritted teeth. He felt the soothing touch of Kenobi’s mind and took another deep breath, letting his anxiety over this mission, and the irritation that spawned, flow out into the Force the way he’d been taught. At that Kenobi broadcasted such pride even Quinlan raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, this is Rex. He’s my Padawan so Quinlan do try not to be too much of yourself?”

“Oh c’mon, Obi Wan! I’m a delight!”

Rex rolled his eyes inside his bucket and begged the Force for strength.

The Force hummed with amusement and Rex sighed deeply. Quinlan looked at him.

“What?”

“The Force _likes_ you.” Rex grumbled, and bit back the ‘sir’ that he nearly added by habit. Kenobi had been insistent he stop referring to Jedi as sir, but he wasn’t comfortable calling anyone besides Obi Wan Master just yet, and most times not even then, so he usually settled for not calling them anything.

Quinlan beamed.

“Of course it does.”

For the third time in as many minutes, Rex rolled his eyes.

Obi Wan stepped forward. “Lets get down to business. Ziro the Hutt was broken out during a hostage takeover.”

Quinlan nodded. “Yeah, I read the briefing about that mess.”

**CC 2224 has opened a private communications channel with CT 7567**

_“I believe congratulations are in order.”_

Rex turned just enough to catch his brother in the bare periphery of his visor. _“What do you mean?”_

_“On your promotion. If you’re a Jedi Padawan, that makes you a Commander in the GAR.”_

Rex frowned. He hadn’t really thought about that. And the idea didn’t sit quite right with him.

_“I’ll get started on the paperwork right away.”_ Cody continued. There was teasing in his voice but Rex knew his brother well enough to know he was serious.

_“Cody, don’t.”_

_“Why not?”_

Cody’s genuine surprise was evident and Rex turned back to look at Kenobi and Vos, noting with interest that Quinlan wore gloves with the fingers cut off.

_“I would rather earn my promotion, not have it handed to me because I was decanted different than other people.”_

Cody turned to face Rex with his whole body, not even keeping up the appearance of following the Jedi’s conversation.

_“You think you haven’t earned it?”_

Rex was quiet for a while. _“A few meditation sessions and visions don’t make me a Jedi.”_ He said, finally.

_“And a CT in front of your number doesn’t make you less worthy of command.”_

Rex huffed but was saved from responding by Quinlan walking past him, bumping his forearm against his Pauldron.

“C’mon Rex. You can be my co-pilot.”Quinlan loped up the ramp into the shuttle.

With a quick nod to Cody, Rex started to follow.

“Rex.” Kenobi stopped him. “May the Voice be with you.”

Rex felt that strange prickling behind his eyes again and nodded dutifully.

_You too, Master._

* * *

Rex’s whole body felt heavy as it surfaced from unconsciousness, his head rolled against someone’s shoulder and he blinked hard, forcing his eyes open.

“Smells like unwashed blacks after a ten-day in the dessert.” He groused, voice rough. A rumbling laugh behind rattled through his back.

“That’s Hutt for you. Can you sit?”

Instead of responding Rex let himself be pushed into an upright position. He pressed a hand against his side, but nothing shifted so he hoped that would save him from the worst of Coric’s wrath. 

“What happened?”

He heard fabric move and Quinlan’s voice nearby. “The Hutt’s didn’t appreciate my questioning techniques. I told them I knew Ziro had been here. I…probably could have been more tactful.”

Rex pinned him with the darkest glare he could muster with one eye open.

“Okay okay. I mean, Obi Wan probably could have managed it without being thrown in Hutt jail.”

He got up and meandered over to the bars. He reached out brace on the bars so he could lea and get a better vantage point. As he did he went strangely still for a moment. A second later he stepped back.

“Rex, c’mere.”

With a fortifying breath, Rex pulled himself to his feet and met the General at the bars.

“What is it?”

“Put your hand here.”

Rex moved to do so.

“No, without your gloves.”

Rex froze. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I do. You’ll never learn to control your power if you don’t use it more. Go on.”

After several moments of Quinlan doing an infuriating approximation of the Jedi Serene Smile and Rex arguing internally to himself, Rex huffed and stripped his gloves. He took a steadying breath and slowly reaches out.

When he wrapped his hands around the bar he is fulled with the sensation of anger and greed, with whisps of sadness and love around the edges. He is small, standing on the outside of the bars and when he looks up…he is kissing a Hutt.

Rex yanked his hand back and shook it violently in the air, as if he could fling away the sensation.

“Why would you do that?” Rex exclaimed, Quinlan laughed.

“What? Now we know, not only was Ziro here, he had help in getting away.”

Rex sent him a dark look and projected, loudly, how he felt about that defense. He swallowed against a rolling wave of nausea that always followed one of his psychometric episodes.

Quinlan shrugged.

“Trust me, that’s better than the image my master used to train me. This one is unpleasant, but it won’t haunt your dreams for the rest of your life.”

“I beg to differ, sir.”

“Whatever, man. Now, do it again.”

Rex pointedly folded his hands behind his back. “I’d rather not.”

Quinlan rolled his eyes. “C’mon you need the practice. Your shields are an actual disgrace.” Quinlan felt Rex’s offense rise through the Force and chuckled. “Not your regular shields. Your Psychometry shields. They’re almost non-existent. That’s why the nausea. It’s pretty common.”

Rex just sighed, continuing to stare at the bars as if they’d personally wronged him.

“Do it again, and this time, I want you to hone in on your Alert, the little signal that tells you you’re about to have a psychometric episode. Those split seconds before it starts are all the time you have to put up your shields around the rest of your mind. If you don’t you risk losing yourself in the past." Quinlan rocked back on his heels, arms folded over his chest. He spoke like he knew just a little too well what he was talking about.

"It's different than a regular vision. It’s not something that _might_ happen, vague and blurry around the edges. It’s something that _has_ happened. It’s detailed. There’s smell and sound and you’re part of it, reliving it through someone else’s eyes. If you’re not careful Psychometry can destroy your mind entirely.”

Rex’s shoulders tensed and he nodded. He hated to admit it, but each time he accidentally touched something it got harder and harder to end the ensuing vision. Quinlan was making sense.

Unfortunately.

“Okay, what do I need to do?”

Quinlan nodded and gave him a few more instructions on what to expect and how to start building his new walls. Just as Rex went to grab the bars for the second time he noticed the man grinning at him out of the corner of his eye.

“What?”

“You’re gonna have a Hutt kink after this, I can already tell.”

Rex wondered if he could be Court Martialed for punching a Jedi that wasn’t his own General.

* * *

“So, what’s eating you, anyway?”

Rex looked up from the flight controls of Quinlan’s small ship. He didn’t really need to be monitoring them so closely, they were in the Hyperspace lane, only a few hours from meeting up with the Negotiator, barring major issues. Theoretically he could relax like Quinlan was doing, the Jedi was currently draped across the pilot’s chair, legs and arms spread all over the place.

In the short time he’d known him Rex had noticed Quinlan generally liked to appear exceedingly casual and seemed to have little to no use for rank and decorum, and Rex wondered if that was part of why he didn’t lead a Battalion of his own.

But the casual attitude was mostly faux, Rex had decided. There was a quality to his presence that reminded him a little bit of Skywalker. Not the power he associated with the younger Jedi exactly, but a sort of sense of the play of light and shadow. Like there was something just beyond his sight-lines that was important, but carefully concealed. A master of slight of hand, Quinlan liked for everyone to be looking in one direction, while he moved in the other.

Now Quinlan had his chin propped in his hand, staring at Rex with an expectant look that reminded him of Obi Wan and a chaotic smirk that reminded him of Tano.

Given all the variables, Rex decided not to beat around the bush.

“I’m sorry about what happened back there.”

Quinlan shrugged. “It’s no big deal. Bane probably would have gotten away anyway. That Bounty Hunter’s slipperier than a Gungan’s left nut.”

Rex sighed and turned back to the flight controls and brought his hands up to grab the control wheel to keep from fidgeting. He felt the pinprick of light and pain just behind his left eye and quickly erected a barrier between himself and the oncoming vision. A sweaty, naked Rodian with her back pressed against the wheel and moaning Quinlan’s name.

Rex pulled himself out of the memory before he could see too much and glared over at the Jedi, who was grinning and waggling his eyebrows.

“I’m not touching anything in this ship,” he said, pointedly pulling his gloves on.

Quinlan shrugged. “Your loss.”

Rex rolled his eyes, considering the subject dropped.

Quinlan, apparently, did not.

“So what was it?”

When Rex looked up he saw a look of concentration and concern on his face, those shades of depth Quinlan tried to hide behind grins and lewd jokes giving way to the thoughtful person underneath.

“I felt your panic. And it didn’t have anything to do with Bane.”

Rex bit his lip. Despite the way his stomach rolled, he carefully opened a door in his mind, reaching, hoping, _pleasepleaseplease_.

_Keeli._

“My brother.” He said, holding himself stone still, worried if he moved he’d lose his nerve. But the burden of knowledge, the emptiness, the soul deep ache of worry in his chest, he didn’t know what to do about it. He could already feel the swirl of emotions clouding his mind, the Voice feeling muffled and far away, unable to reach it through the fog to Obi Wan. “I felt something happen to him. I…can’t feel him now and I just…” His voice cracked, his hands wrapped tight around themselves in his lap.

Quinlan’s eyes softened and Rex felt a comfortingly heavy warmth settle around him.

“What’s his number?”

“CT 7677.” Rex answered without thinking.

Quinlan had a data screen pulled up.

“I found him.”A second later the ship jerked sharply to the right, descending quickly (and rather illegally) into an intersecting hyperlane. He looked over at Rex and smiled at his gobsmacked expression. “We’ll be a little late meeting up with Obi Wan, but I’ll take care of it.”

Even after they arrived at the Med Station in the Rylothian sector, Rex couldn’t quite bring himself to hope for what they would find. After being bounced around to a few different reception areas as they searched, Quinlan finally threw his Jedi weight around a bit (so he _did_ understand rank after all) and got them to the right level, and then, the right room.

Keeli was drawn and pale when Rex finally found him, third bed on the left in a room that held twenty, but Rex recognized him immediately.

He didn’t hesitate. He flew across the room and grabbed his hand, clutching it tight to his chest.

Keeli's eyes fluttered. "Rex? How..."

Rex collapsed the last handful of inches between them and pressed his forehead and nose to Keeli's.

"Are you dead Vod?" He whispered wetly. "Because the Voice didnt contact me."

Keeli smiled. "I'm not dead."

Rex breathed deep. There was the scent of medbay and industrial strength cleaners, yes, but also skin and smoke and _Keeli_ that settled Rex's nerves.

“Don’t ever do that again.” Rex said. He felt the fog in his mind recede like waves on sand and the warmth of Brotherhood rushed in behind it, setting bumps across Rex’s skin. He reached for it the feeling, wrapped it around he and Keeli both. “We’re even, di’kut.”

Rex heard Keeli’s soft laugh, warm breath against his face (alive, not dead, _alive_ ) and pushed back against his palm just slightly when Keeli squeezed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, okay. We’re even.”


	5. The Mortis Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mortis Arc but make it Rex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to everyone who has been following along and/or reviewing. I'm really enjoying writing for the first time in a long time and a lot of that is because of you.

_"I don't understand it Master. We are at the rendezvous coordinates, but we don't see you."_

Anakin huffed irritably at the projection of his Padawan. "And I'm telling you Snips, we are at the coordinates and you are nowhere in sight."

“Well, this is turning out to be a bit more interesting than we’d planned.” Obi Wan quipped from beside him. “Perhaps there’s something wrong with our navigational relay.”

“There’s nothing wrong with this ship.” Anakin snapped with enough venom that Rex straightened in his seat behind him. “Obviously there’s something else.”

“Anakin I just-”

“Snips do another sector sweep.”

_“M-st-r. ‘ead...we…there?”_ Ahsoka’s hologram flickered a few more times before the transmission fizzled out completely.

“I think something's blocking the signal,” Rex reported from the communications controls.

“That’s not good.”

“You think?”

Obi Wan and Rex exchanged a quick glance, but never got the chance to comment as all the power in the ship suddenly cut out, only to flicker back on a moment later.

“Sirs!” Rex exclaimed, standing from his seat. Before their eyes a colossal rhomboid structure had suddenly appeared and started pulling the tiny ship forward.

“Everybody strap in. Looks like we’re going for a ride.”

* * *

All in all, it hadn't been the worse landing any of them had ever been through. And the hike up the mountain had been largely uneventful. 

"Everything alright, Padawan?" Obi Wan's voice was low. In front of them picking their way along the ridge, Anakin was still attempting to draw their strange glowing guide into conversation.

Rex turned from where he was scowling out at the landscape.

"Doesn’t feel right here."

Obi Wan nodded.

"Yes. I've felt it too. The Force is very strong in this place."

Rex rested one of his hands on his blaster, but it didn't quite settle the uneasy feeling that had descended over him since setting foot on the planet.

"We will need to work on getting you a more civilized weapon, Padawan mine." Obi Wan said, his eyes having followed Rex's movements.

Rex frowned, wishing somewhat idly he hadn't left his helmet in the ship.

"My blasters are plenty civilized." He pulled one out of the holster and spun it around his index finger a few times before slipping it back in. "See?" He asked, his grin the spitting image of Hardcase right before he armed his Z6.

Obi Wan rolled his eyes, but was unable to hide the mirth and brimming pleasure he felt at seeing the young Captain so at ease.

"Indeed."

A sound like a collapsing building crashed in front of them and suddenly their narrow mountain path was blocked by about a half ton of boulders and debris.

"General!"

"Anakin do you read?" Obi Wan barked into his comm, at the same time staying Rex with a hand on his shoulder, he looked five seconds from scaling the rock wall with his bare hands.

_"Yeah I'm fine. But our "guide" has decided to run off."_

"Stay where you are, Rex and I will try to find another way around." 

Rex was already leaning out over the edge of the cliff, assessing the potential climbing routes.

_"No. Look. Don’t bother,"_ Obi Wan frowned at his comm, as if he could defuse Anikan's hostility through audio alone, _"if this is a trap I don’t plan to wait around and find out."_

"I think it would be best if we were to stay-"

_"Just go back to the ship and try and send another distress signal."_ Anakin's signal was degrading already moving out of range. _"I'm sure you two will do just fine without me."_

The last part was garbled, as if not quite intentionally picked up. But Obi Wan heard it all the same.

"Anakin!"

Static was the only response. Obi Wan stared at the boulders blocking their path as if he thought if he looked hard enough he could see through them to his old Padawan.

After a moment he turned around to face Rex who looked back at him with that practiced blankness all troopers wore when they weren’t sure what to say.

A small dark voice he was not always good at ignoring wondered when would come the day that Rex started to hate him too.

"Back to the ship, sir?"

Obi Wan just nodded, allowing Rex the familiarity of rank this time. This planet had set them all off balance, he would not deny his Padawan this comfort when it seemed like it might be all he had to give at the moment.

Rex mulled over his thoughts for the better part of the forty minute trek back to the ship, a question he couldn’t quite bring himself to ask refusing to settle.

That is, until Obi Wan nudged him over their bond, a gentle reminder he was to always feel free to speak his mind.

"Has he always...been like this?" Rex asked, clearing his throat in an attempt to cover the way he stammered over the impertinence of the question.

Obi Wan sighed.

"Anakin as a teenager took 'moody' to new and dramatic heights. In an odd way the war has been good for that. Given him responsibility and an outlet in some way for his emotions. But...things have been difficult between us since leaving Coruscant a few days ago." Obi Wan clasped his hands loosely behind his back, picking his way along the rocky terrain at the bottom of the mountain.

"He's been cold with me too." Rex murmured after a moment. He bent down and swiped up a small smooth stone, turning it over in his hands in thought.

"I had been worried something like this would happen." Obi Wan shook his head.

"Something like what?"

"That Anakin would feel jealous of you, that he might worry my taking you on as Padawan somehow meant he meant less to me."

Rex frowned. "But he was happy when I told him." He tossed his smooth stone out over the edge of the cliff and watched it sail down until it disappeared, never hitting the ground.

"Are you sure?" Obi Wan had paused beside Rex, stroking his beard, staring out into space.

"Very. He hugged me. Twice. And I haven’t seen him much since then. I was with Quinlan and then with you on the Negotiator. I'm not entirely sure what I did wrong." Rex shrugged and they both started back along the path. "Maybe something happened on Coruscant. If thats when he started having problems with you."

"I wouldn’t say thats when they started but...yes, perhaps you're right. Something might have gotten to him.” _Or someone._

Obi Wan didn’t say the last part. It was a stray thought, idle and unintentional, but Rex heard it. The same way he was sometimes awakened by Cody's nightmares or craved Kix's favorite flavor of ration.

"You think someone might be influencing Anakin in some way?" Rex wondered aloud. He turned toward the Jedi at the brief flash of annoyance and impression of a frown that spun out from Obi Wan's presence.

"Rex," the man began, enough reprimand in his tone to make Rex straighten and put more purposeful thought in his steps, "just because you _can_ do something, doesn’t mean you should. It is our responsibility as empaths not to pry into someone else’s thoughts without their permission. That includes projected thoughts and emotions.If you weren't meant to hear it, the appropriate thing to do is pretend you didn't."

“I apologize.” Rex said, eyes straight ahead. Obi Wan withheld a sigh with about as much success as Rex had done with the ‘sir’.

“This is not a censure, Rex. Merely etiquette you never had an opportunity to learn. It’s my job to teach you and you are a very good student." He pushed reassurance toward him and punctuated it with a friendly knock of their bracers. "But, since it’s in the open now…Yes. Anakin spends a lot of time with the Chancellor on Coruscant. I’ve never been fond of how much influence he exerts over him. I don’t think anything inappropriate is going on I just…well he is a politician after all.” He finished with a shrug, frown back between his eyebrows.

“You don’t trust him.” Rex observed, relieved when he saw the edge of the clearing where they'd left the ship.

“Do you trust any politicians?”

Rex sighed as they entered the clearing. "Why am I not surprised."

"This is where we left the ship. I'm sure of it." Obi Wan propped his hands on his hips, staring at the empty field where their ship once sat.

Rex was distracted from responding by the darkness that had descended naturally quickly around them and the way all the plant life was audibly shriveling.

“Everything’s dying.” Obi Wan observed, a note of wary concern in his voice.

“And a storm is rolling in.”

Behind them the rolling thunder of the far off storm gave way to an other-worldly voice.

**“Did you lose something?”**

Rex was man enough to admit he was startled (this planet was kriffing _weird_ and nothing _felt_ right) and he whipped both blasters from his belt, aiming straight for the huge man with glowing red eyes that had appeared behind them.

**“You didn’t do as you were told.”**

Rex was more than happy to let Obi Wan handle the discussion with the clearly not-quite-human giant. Obi Wan for his part seemed perfectly at ease with the man, who stood a full two feet taller than him and was emitting waves of malice and disdain that nearly knocked him off his feet, but Rex could tell the difference.

He could see the way the Jedi shifted so that his weight was evenly distributed to his back foot, the way his hand came to rest near his lightsaber.

He was just as thrown off as Rex.

But then, he had more experience with Jedi osik, so it made sense he was better at hiding it.

**“Is it true that he is the Chosen One?”**

Obi Wan had his lightsaber lit so quickly it took Rex’s eyes a moment to adjust to it in the near pitch black night that had fallen around them.

“What do you know about that?” Obi Wan snarled, clamping down on his bond with Rex in a strange show of protectiveness Rex didn’t fully understand. Nor did he understand the reference to the Chosen One. But there as one thing he _did_ understand.

"You are a Sith."

The bone cracking cold he’d been fighting that stabbed deeper than a night spent out of doors on Hoth. The tingling pain in his fingertips and toes, the way the Voice seemed to be waffling between screeching and wailing in his head.

_This_ was the Dark.

**“Sith? Yes,”** The man cackled in dark amusement, as if observing a pet performing a vaguely impressive trick. **“And no.”**

Another shiver ran down Rex’s spine and he adjusted his grip on his blasters. He suddenly doubted they would be of any use,but they are all he had. Obi Wan shifted just slightly in front of him, an old habit bred from years on a battlefield and Rex did not begrudge him for it. But he didn’t lower his pistols either.

**“The storms here are quite lethal. If you want to live, I suggest you find shelter.”** Then the man turned and leapt into the air and transformed into some kind of bat. A kriffing bat.

“I think I hate this place.” Rex grumbled, shoving his blasters back into his holsters.

Obi Wan sighed deeply. “I suggest we take his advice.” A bolt of lightning stuck the ground in front of them, turning the air around them to charred ozone. “Quick, there’s a cave back there.”

Obi Wan built them a fire and Rex positioned himself so he was seated with his body mostly facing the entrance of the cave.

The Dark side had been unpleasant but familiar, in the way every time he set foot on a desert planet he felt as if he’d been there before. He found it had left him drained with a kind of exhaustion that seemed to sneak up on him and he was suddenly struggling to keep his eyes open.

"You should get some sleep Rex."

"Im fine." He said, despite how obvious it was that the opposite was true.

Obi Wan, famed negotiator that he was, didn’t argue. “Yes, and I'd like to keep it that way. The unusual Force presence here is taxing, even for me. I don't want you to burn yourself out. We will need you at your best if we are to get off this planet in one piece."

Rex glared toward the mouth of the cave.

"I have the watch.” He said after a moment, scooting back against a rock and kicking his feet out to cross his legs at the ankles. “Go on."

Rex sighed. He could already feel a headache building behind his eyes and he was not eager to experience Force Burnout again.

"Alright." He said, moving away to settle against a rock face a little further inside the cave, just beyond where Obi Wan had built the fire. "But you'll wake me if anything happens?"

"I promise."

Rex was asleep almost before his chin touched his chest.

* * *

Time was impossible to keep track of when asleep, so Rex wasn't sure how long it had been when the sound of a gruff voice started to tug on his mind.

_“Good soldiers follow orders."_ It said, rough and quiet and oddly familiar.

_"Good soldiers follow orders."_ It sounded like an accusation.

_“Are you a good soldier, Commander Rex?”_ And condemnation.

Rex jerked awake and saw an old man warming himself near the fire. No. Not a man. A Clone.

He was bald with a white beard, wore a long dark cape and a lightsaber hung off his belt.

He also wore armor, but only the chest, arm and shoulder guards as well as scuffed regulation boots.

But Rex would recognize the paint anywhere.

Why was this old clone wearing his armor?

“Who are you? Where's Obi Wan?”

“Are you a good soldier, Rex?”

Rex climbed to his feet and glanced around, the cave was dark and empty, but undeniably the same one he'd fallen asleep in earlier. “I try to be.”

“So you follow orders?”

“Yes.”

“No!”

Rex was startled by the sudden shout and his hand went to his blaster.

“Not every order should be mindlessly followed.” The man raged, his cape fluttering in a non-existent breeze. "Can't you see? You are not a soldier. You are a Jedi.”

“I’m not.”

“You still deny it. But you know the Voice says otherwise.” The man scowled, moving toward him. “What do you want?”

“What? I don’t-”

“What do you _want_? Power like the Sith? Credits like Slick?" He stalked slowly around him, Rex turned his head to keep him in his sights.

"Of course not!"

"Of course not," He repeated, "because you're a good soldier. All you want is victory for the Grand Old Army of the Republic. A people who don't even see you as human. And everyday you die for them.” The man continued, treasonous mockery in his tone. “Do your brothers mean nothing to you?”

“They mean everything to me!” Rex shouted back, “Why do you think I'm doingall this? I just want to protect them!”

“Then you cannot be a good soldier.” He was his face, so close Rex would swear he could feel his breath on his cheeks. “If you want to protect them, if you want to _save_ them, you must be more than a good soldier. You _must_ be a Jedi.”

“Rex?”

A hand on his arm had him whirling around and Obi Wan easily ducked Rex's fist.

“I apologize, you weren’t answering.” He said raising his hands in defense. Rex stared at him with wide eyes and turned around, but the cave was dark, the firelong since gone out. They were alone.

“Did you have a vision?”

“Yeah. I think I did.”

* * *

Rex decided he definitely hated this planet.

He'd come to that conclusion sometime after walking into the wall of stifling heat of _light_ that had washed over the landscape the following morning, breathing new life into everything it touched with such fervor that it seemed desperate for it. The wailing of the Force seem quiet by comparison.

There had also been that whole cluster at the monastery when he and Kenobi had been plucked off the ground like a baby porg that was selected for lunch by that kriffing bat/bird/dragon thing from the night before.

**“Now you must choose. Between your Master, and your Brother.”**

Yeah. That had been a treat.

But what had really cemented Rex’s poor opinion of this place, one which was currently plummeting down his list of least favorite planets like a broken turbo lift in a sky rise, was definitely waking up chained to a wall with a flaming headache and a _very_ bad feeling.

The Voice may have been unintelligible here, garbled and mixed up like an entire squad of brothers talking over one another, but the shrieking warning was clear.

They’d almost made it off this Force Damned dirt ball when the Son (that wasn’t even a real _name_. And he had a brother named _Baby_ ) had materialized inside the ship and abducted him.

And Rex was getting really tired of being snatched off his own feet. Not since he was a waist height three year old had he spent so much time being flung around at someone else’s whim.

“Save your energy.”

Rex blinked hard, trying to see across the darkened room to where the soft, hissing voice had come from, pausing in his struggles to wriggle free of his bindings.

“Escape is impossible.”

Rex scowled at the small creature that lumbered toward him, it’s soft lilting voice set his teeth on edge.

“I am a clone. We don’t give up easily.” He growled, yanking again on the bindings around his wrists. Just behind the creature he saw his armor in a pile in the corner. Unfortunately, his blasters weren’t with it.

“A clone?” The creature tilted it’s head thoughtfully and slowly becan climbing up the wall beside him. “But I sense something else in you. Something more.”

Rex swallowed, watching it carefully. It’s skin was splotchy as if he was in the midst of a molting cycle, large floppy ears and long claws protruded from each hand and foot, unkempt and yellowed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The creature hmmm’d. “Do you think they'll come for you?"

"Yes." Rex answered immediately, with more confidence than he felt. He was a clone, he was meant to be expendable. Except...he wasnt just a clone anymore, was he? He had the Force now (had always had it) and was Kenobi's Padawan. Didn't that count for something? Was he more worthy of the risk of rescue now than he had been before? "And even if they don’t, you wont get anything out of me."

"Oh, but I already have."

Before Rex even had a chance to utter a protest the creature reached up and swiped a claw at his face and Rex's cheek exploded in pain. All at once the world began to bend around the edges, sounds drifted away, cruel laughter chasing him into the darkness.

* * *

“He’s got Rex, c’mon!” Anakin jumped down the ramp of the ship, already running headlong into the unknown. As always. Obi Wan reached out to grab his arm.

“Anakin stop. We are in the middle of something we don’t truly understand. We would be wise to confer with the Father first.”

Anakin yanked his arm out of Obi Wan’s grip. “There’s no time! Rex is strong but untrained in the Force, who knows what the Son will do to him. He’s your Padawan, don’t you care?”

“Of course I care, but-“

“Or are you just going to toss him aside like me.”

Obi Wan drew back as if struck, his mouth hung open as he stared at his former Padawan, his _child_.

“Anakin…how could you…why would you think that? You were not only my Padawan, you were my first Padawan. The love I hold for you could never be replaced or die.”

Anakin turned his back, frowning at the ground and crossing his arms.

“Anakin,” Obi Wan approached carefully, slowly, “Rex said you were happy when he told you. I thought you always wanted a brother?”

“I did. I do, but,” Anakin looked confused for a moment, and the anger coming over their bond, a thread of confusion and uncertainty sparking within it. “But...you replaced me.”

Obi Wan shook his head, grasping the uncertainty in his voice like a lifeline. “No dear one. I could never. And Rex would never want that. But he needed guidance. Just as you once did. Would…you prefer I find him a different Master?”

“No! No, don’t abandon him.” Anakin whirled around he looked stricken and Obi Wan wondered what it was he was struggling with so hard in his own mind. He looked back toward the looming green glow in the distance. “Look, just…Rex needs you. You go get him. I’ll go talk to the Father.”

“Anakin,” Obi Wan reached for him, but the younger man was already running off in the opposite direction.

With a huff Obi Wan turned and started running. Away from one Padawan and toward another.

* * *

“Rex!” Obi Wan was slightly out of breath when he skidded to a stop at the top of the tower. Rex stood facing away from him at the other end of the stone courtyard, head bowed as if staring out across the landscape. “C’mon, we have to go.”

Slowly, Rex’s head raised.

“Master.” The word rolled out slowly, oil slick and scornful.

Obi Wan’s eyes, which had been looking around anxiously, certain the Son was going to emerge from the shadows at any moment, flew to the Captain’s back.

“Rex?”

Slowly Rex turned, but not with the staccato certainty of a trooper who’d been marching in lockstep since he first learned to stand. The way his head rolled, tilted, eyes roving over Obi Wan, hips shifted, arms swinging as he walked. This was the languid movement of a jungle cat, a predator eyeing down their next meal.

“Why do you resist him? He only wants to bring peace to the Universe. Maybe then my brothers could stop dying in your war.” Rex glared spitefully, slowly approaching the Jedi, threat in his every movement.

Obi Wan swallowed hard. “Rex, are you feeling alright? You’re not making any sense.”

“On the contrary. I’m making perfect sense. Maybe you just don’t want to hear it from me. From _a clone_.”

“Rex, I-”

“Dont interrupt me. I _hate_ it when you interrupt me.”

Obi Wan pursed his lips.

“And what it is you want to say?”

“Oh me? Nothing. What could I have to say, _Master_?”

“Why are you saying it like that?” Obi Wan stared straight ahead as Rex moved around behind him, hating himself for the way his voice wavered, the mockery and burning hatred in Rex’s tone grinding into old wounds that had never quite healed.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like when I call you Master? Your little slave boy.”

“You are not-”

“What.” Rex’s voice was low, whisper quiet, his warmth pressed against Obi Wan’s back, breath skittering along his ear,. “Did I say. About interrupting me?”

Obi Wan shivered.

“You’re not a slave.” He said again.

“Aren’t I?” Just like that Rex was gone. He might have come back around in front, Obi Wan wasn’t sure. He’d have to open his eyes to find out.

“Aren’t we just your little slave army? Bought and paid for by the Republic. Made to die so that more worthwhile beings might live.” The sound of Rex’s laugh was cracking glass. Darkly amused as if the loss of thousands of lives meant nothing, as if Obi Wan hadn’t felt his grief, his _anguish_ across their bond countless times. Obi Wan opened his eyes. 

Black veins stood out against Rex’s skin and hair, eyes glowing naturally gold.

“What has he done to you?”

“Done to me? My dear Master, he’s _freed_ me. I’m not your flesh droid anymore,” Rex sneered, “and he is a better Master than you could ever _hope_ to be.”

If Rex had shot him in the chest, he could not have burned him deeper. Obi Wan bowed forward as if struck. Off balance for a moment, he flailed for the Force, forgetting momentarily that the planet _was_ the Force. White hot pressure rose up to meet him and he reeled. He reached for his lightsaber instinctively, he was in danger and he always felt better with his lightsaber in his hand.

He startled when it was kicked from his belt and skittered across the stone.

“Ah ah ah,” Rex smiled, serene and cold. “That’s not fair, _Master_. But then…if you want to fight…who is a lowly clone to argue?”

Rex dove at him and Obi Wan braced for the impact.

* * *

Anakin rounded the corner and saw Rex go flying across the arena, he hit the ground hard and didn’t move. Turning to where he’d come from, he saw Obi Wan looking disheveled and dirty, his face bruised and one arm wrapped around his torso.

“Obi Wan! Are you alright?” He ran up to his master, uncertain hands running along his limbs trying to find a place to help and not hurt.

“I’m fine, Anakin. We need to-”

“How sweet. Master and Apprentice together again.”

The Jedi turned and saw Rex had climbed back to his feet. Anakin winced, Rex’s arm hung _wrong_ from his left side, dislocated or possibly even broken. Rex didn’t seem to have noticed.

His eyes glowed gold.

Anakin ignited his lightsaber.

“No, Anakin,” Obi Wan pushed his hand down. “He’s under the influence of the Son. You could kill him.” 

“No no, don’t stop on my account, Chosen One.” Rex raised his good arm, “if you think killing me will stop me, that is just what you’ll have to do.”

Before Anakin could move, though, the glass above them shattered and two bodies came flying out the window and onto the arena below.

The three were left to watch in awestruck horror as the three Force beings fought amongst themselves.

“Master,” Anakin turned to Obi Wan and pulled something off his belt. “The Daughter gave me this. It can be used to kill the Son!”

Obi Wan’s eyebrows flew up and he reached for the hilt of the sword that slowly emerged from a cloud of green smoke.

“I’ll take that.” A rush of air and a flash of white and blue appeared between them as Rex bounded forward, jumping and twisting so that he grabbed the sword before Obi Wan had a chance to and landed hard a few feet away, at the feet of the Son.

“Rex!”

The Son smiled down at the clone.

**“Everything has transpired exactly as I planned.”** He held out a hand. **“Give it to me.”**

Obi Wan watched with building dread as Rex lifted the sword to look at it. He seemed to hesitate and for a moment hope soared. Obi Wan reached for their bond, wishing to nudge his Padawan in the right direction or at the very least sense his true intentions. But there was nothing at the other end. It didn’t burn, like a bond that had been severed unexpectedly. There was just dense blackness, a thick fog. No emotions, no emptiness. Just…nothing.

Rex dropped the sword into the Son’s hand.

**“Good boy,”** He smiled, his voice reverberating in the air around them. “ **And now that you are no longer useful, it is time to fulfill your purpose.”** He lifted two fingers and touched Rex’s forehead.

Rex dropped like a stone.

Obi Wan was seconds behind, falling to his knees, his eyes locked on Rex’s slack face.

He heard Anakin’s roar of desperation, was dimly aware of him being flung to one side and arguing, anger, hate and sorrow.

His eyes never left Rex’s body.

The fog had lifted. And in the part of his mind where Obi Wan kept _Rex_ , he now felt the burn of a severed bond. The scorching heat and pain that meant he was alone, he’d failed. Again.

_His Master dying in his arms. Charred skin and lava._

Obi Wan raised a hand to his head as the visions pushed into the space that had been left open.

_A frightened Pau’an. A dust storm sweeping across the desert._

_(Not now. There is no time. You must be strong, my dear Obi Wan.)_

Obi Wan frowned. Was that-

“Can you help him? Please save him!”

Obi Wan looked up, a few feet away Anakin was crouched over Rex’s body, nearby the Father was doing the same over his daughter, her glowing light growing dimmer by the moment.

Grunting, Obi Wan pushed himself to his feet and staggered forward.

**“I cannot undo what is done. There is…no hope.”**

Slamming down to his knees beside his Padawans, Obi Wan reached out to rest his hand on Rex’s forehead. His skin was already cold.

“Yes there is! There’s always hope!”

Slowly, the daughter raised a shaking hand toward Rex and the Father, having apparently understood what she wanted, stood and motioned for Anakin to come kneel in front of him, between the two bodies.

**“Then let my daughter’s last act be to breathe life into your friend.”**

* * *

Later, on board the cruiser, Obi Wan retired to his assigned Cabin, planning for once to follow his own advice and get some rest. For the rest of the galaxy they were only missing for a few moments, but Obi Wan’s body insisted it had been at least two days since he’d really slept.

He was just about to drop onto his bunk when he felt a question pressed softly against his mind, followed quickly by a retraction and withdrawal.

_*Come in, Rex.*_

There was a beat of silence and then his doors slid open.

“I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You’re never a bother,” Obi Wan said with a small smile. He sat on his bed and couldn’t hold back a groan, reaching down to pull of his boots. “Are you alright?”

Rex glanced down at his left arm, held across his chest by a sling.

“Yeah. Fodder said it should be fine in a few days.” 

Obi Wan nodded, settling back on his bunk.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to…meditate or something,” Rex said, shrugging and then winced when it pulled on his injured shoulder.

Obi Wan looked away.

“Would you like to?”

Rex withheld the shrug this time, but barely.

“Maybe tomorrow?”

“That would be fine. Just stop by here whenever you’re ready.”

Rex nodded and turned to leave. He stopped just before triggering the door and Obi Wan waited for him to get up the courage to say what he really came for.

“What happened on Mortis?” He asked softly.

Obi Wan shifted. “What do you mean?”

Rex resisted the urge to request permission to speak freely, and instead turned around and just blurted out the first cohesive set of words that he could make from what had been swirling in his mind ever since he woke up on that planet.

"I feel like I might have done something. Or said something that I don’t remember. You've been looking at me like you look at Anakin sometimes, like he's breaking your heart.” Rex watched Obi Wan turn to avoid his eyes again. “That’s if you look at me at a all.”

“It’s nothing.” Obi Wan said, turning to needlessly fluff his pillows and refold his tunic on the foot of his bed. “You weren’t yourself. I don’t hold any of it against you.”

“But you do hold it against yourself.”

Obi Wan’s hands paused over the fabric of his tunic. He swept his thumbs back and forth across the worn-soft cloth. He didn’t respond.

“I dont know if I ever said thank you.” Rex said, suddenly. He took a small step forward, but Obi Wan didn’t look up. “For agreeing to train me. For trying so hard to make me comfortable. I still dont know if I'll be a Jedi. Or if I am if I'll be a good one. But I do know if I'm not, it won't be because my teacher was lacking.”

Rex waited a moment, but Obi Wan never moved. He sighed and muttered a farewell and a promise to come by the next day to meditate.

Obi Wan kept still as long as he could, but eventually a single tear managed to escape his iron grip.

“Thank you.” He whispered brokenly into the silence. “Padawan mine.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't wanted to tease any upcoming chapters because I didnt know if there would be any but, since I've already started writing it...
> 
> Up Next: The Citadel


	6. The Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone has an opinion about what Rex is capable of.

* * *

_16 hours ago_

_"ECHO!"_

_Fives' voice screeched over the comms and cut straight through Rex's soul. He stopped shooting and followed Fives' gaze to where Echo had picked up a piece of debris to use as a shield and was sprinting across the open landing platform._

_His panic was electric and near overwhelming in the chaos of battle, the most recent in a long line of battles on a mission that had gone more wrong than right. He saw Echos plan and, like Fives, saw it would never work._

_Rex gathered the Force around himself and flung a hand out toward his little brother._

_He was off balance, not quite controlled and he could feel the seconds slipping by too fast. He searched for Echo in the Force, for the small light of warmth that meant Brother. Around him the Force churned, alight with so many Force users and emotions running high, Cody’s grief and pain, Anakin’s flame of Focus, Fives' panicpanicpanic, Obi Wan's wall of Nothing and ChargerLongshotRylieBennetTylo-_

Please, don’t do this, I can’t lose Echo too, please-

(Control, child. Balance.)

_He wasn’t in control, panic lapped at the edges of his mind but he refused to stop, he would not lose anymore brothers today._

_Rex pulled. The ship's fuel tanks exploded and a shockwave rocked the platform._

_“We have to go!”_

_Rex heard Kenobi’s shout, felt the other Jedi and remaining clones start to move away._

_“Fives!” He went back to laying down cover fire as Fives stared, frozen, at the body laying a few feet in front of them._

_Kenobi pulled insistently at his mind._

_“Fives, go! Grab him!”_

_Fives still didn’t move and Rex dropped a half squad of tinnies as they started pouring through the smoke._

_“Fives! I can feel him, he’s still alive, grab him and let’s go!”_

_Kenobi’s presence was sharp with reprimand and_ **that’s an order.** _In a flash of irritation that Rex's edges were worn to raw to control, Rex snapped back._ _**Not without Echo.**_

_Finally, Fives moved, pulling his brother up over his shoulder in a single sweeping move and then turned to follow the way the rest of their team had gone. Rex laid down a few more bolts of cover fire before he took off at a run behind him._

* * *

Present

"Jesse told me but I wasn’t sure I believed it."

The locker room was empty. Rex had had two briefings and a short meeting with Kenobi - _perhaps we could meditate tomorrow Padawan, I'm rather tired after the mission_ \- and everyone else who'd gone to The Citadel had already showered and gone on to the bunk room or the Mess.

Rex set aside his bracers and stood to start removing his leg plates.

"Something I can help you with Echo?"

The younger trooper was down to fresh blacks, but just the bottoms. He'd forgone the top, probably on medic's orders since the whole right side of his body was slathered in bacta and bandages. He probably should have been in a tank. Rex would have asked him why he wasn't, but talking for more than a sentence sounded exhausting and the question faded from his mind mere seconds later.

Echo started to cross his arms, winced when the movement pulled at his burns and propped his uninjured hand on his hip instead.

"You really are a Jedi." The young ARC marveled.

Rex snatched off his last leg plate and flung it into the shower.

"I'm not!"

The plastoid flew across the room, echoing off the tile walls loudly before it skittered to a stop and the room was plunged back into silence. Rex stared at it. Waited for shame to rush in behind the anger. Instead the anger burned out fast, like blowing out a candle, and he was left inhaling smoke.

He startled when a rough palm settled against the back of his neck, a solid hold every trooper knew to use to ground a brother who was spiraling. Echo smelled of bacta and GAR soap, his arm hot where it rested against his left shoulder.

Rex shook his head, near tears. Everything felt too fresh, too real, too close to the surface and he couldn’t hold it together any longer (hadn’t been holding it together, he knew, that was why he couldn’t remember leaving the planet or how he ended up in the fresher).

He still saw Charger's body slipping past his fingertips, light winking out seconds after he hit the ground. Still felt Longshot’s flame where it had flickered in his mind for hours as they crept through the maze of corridors and boobytraps, until it finally slipped away in the darkness and nearly brought Rex to his knees.

Could still hear Sling and Levi and Maxis and Skyler, crying out before they fell silent in the dirt.

Gone. Just like that. Just like always. Rex had reached for every one of them as their lights went out. Hoping, somehow, he could find a way to hold on to them, keep them here. Instead they always slipped away, died. Just out of reach and felt cold and brittle and scattered in the loss.

Echo squeezed his neck again. 

"Rex?"

He remembered the first time he felt a mind as it winked out of existence. Sergeant O’Niner’s voice still echoed in his dreams more than anything else. He remembered the feeling of his body exploding apart, atoms from molecule, slipping away and slamming back in.

He felt it now, with the whispered names of his fallen brothers on his lips, he felt himself coming apart.

Rex sunk to the bench and dropped his head into his hands. Echo followed, and shifted so his good side was pressed along Rex's. Skin contact was essential to grounding, they all knew that. And every brother craved touch and rarely got out of their shell long enough to satiate it.

"You alright ori'vod?" 

He tried to turn toward Echo, planned to answer him, but didn't quite make it. Instead his eyes dropped to just over Echo's shoulder. In the shower he saw Skitter, armor fractured around him at the bottom of the cliff. '88 lay crumpled beside him, smoke still rising from the blaster holes in his grays.

Rex nodded absently, pretty sure someone had asked him a question. Echo frowned.

He pushed to his feet and pulled Rex up beside him.

"You cold, Rex?" He slid his hand down Rex's arm, feeling for his pulse, "Can you hear me?" 

Rex's eyes drifted past his face, missing the mark for eye contact again.

Echo took a deep breath.

"C'mon. Let’s get you cleaned up, you'll feel better. Then we'll get you back to Kenobi."

Rex gave a tiny shake of his head, then seemed to forget why. Echo waited.

"Cody." Rex said finally. Echo nodded.

"Cody then."

* * *

_14 hours ago_

_“What a creep.” Anakin swiped a hand through his hair and glared. He'd dropped back in their lineup to be beside Rex as their entire team marched along the ridge of the old tunnels beneath the base._

_Rex tipped his helmet toward Anakin to indicate listening, even as he passively swept along the presences of Fives and Echo and the men they’d rescued with Tarkin._

_Echo was exuding amusement alongside his pain and Fives' was a knot of tension beneath crashing waves of relief. Rex soothed them both with Calm he pulled from the dregs of his mind._

_He shrugged. "Seems pretty normal to me, sir."_

_"How can you say that? He's completely ungrateful and a total jerk."_

_Rex shrugged again._

_"You don’t think so?"_

_Rex tipped his bucket in the other direction. "I don’t think he's that different from most other natborn officer's I've talked to."_

_Anakin walked beside him in silence for a little while and Rex focused on keeping his eyes on Ahsoka's rear headtail, it helped him feel centered as his mind grew more jumbled, clarity more difficult to manage with each passing step._

Charger!No!

_Rex blinked. "What was that?"_

_"I said if I ever hear one of our officer's talking to the men that way I'll give him a tour of the airlocks." Anakin grumbled, scowling at the natborn up ahead._

_Rex winced. "Thats not necessary sir."_

_"Of course it is. You're sentient beings and you deserve basic respect at least. More if you consider the risks you take everyday for the rest of the galaxy. On top of that_ you _are a Jedi."_

_Rex shifted, uncomfortable._

_"Im just a clone, sir."_

_Anakin shrugged. "So? I'm just a slave from Tatooine. Obi wan is just an orphan who was dropped on the Temple’s doorstep. We were all just something once. Now we’re Jedi."_

_Before he had a chance to ruminate on that sentiment, Rex felt a sharp spike of pain from Echo and reflexively reached to sooth it. As he did his vision greyed out slightly and his knees wobbled._

_"Whoa, you alright there, Rex?" Anakin reached out to steady him and Rex leaned only long enough to get his feet back under him._

_"Yes, sir." Rex nodded. A light went out somewhere in the tunnel behind them and Rex winced even as he lunged for it, desperate not to lose another brother, knowing its was already too late._

_"Anakin, Rex. Call me Anakin."_

_Rex nodded after a moment. “Right.”_

* * *

Present

Cody had been availing himself of his private fresher and was almost settled in bed when his chime went off. Upon answering it he was met with two exhausted looking ARCs and a near unconscious Rex.

"What happened?" He hissed, reaching out to take Rex from Fives, and then helping Echo get his brother to the bed.

"He's alright," Echo said, his voice low, though Cody doubted Rex would hear him even if he wasn’t. "He dissociated a little. I think he's just tired."

Cody glanced back at Fives. The other ARC was stiff and tight, despite his parade rest stance. He frowned.

"You're sure?"

Echo nodded, continuing to get Rex settled. Cody left him to it and approached Fives.

"Haven’t seen him this bad in a while." Fives muttered darkly.

It was concern then, Cody realized. Fives was one of those vode who expressed their concern through the more familiar lens of anger and discontent.

“I don’t know what happened on that mission. But Rex hasn’t been right since.” Fives continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

“It’s only been a few hours.”

“Not that one.” Fives glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Mortis. None of the Jedi will talk about it. Including Rex. Something happened down there and they’re being typical _Di’kutla Jetti_ about it.”

Cody watched Echo sit beside Rex for a few moments. His mouth was moving so he assumed he was still talking, but Rex was facing toward the wall so he wasn't sure if Rex could hear him or not.

"I'll talk to him.” He sighed, thinking of how forlorn and distant his General had seemed recently. "Both of them." He amended.

"Good." Fives nodded stiffly and then wentover to Echo, dropped a hand on his shoulder and tilted his head toward the corridor. With a nod, the other man stood and Cody followed them both to the door. In the hall, Echo hesitated.

"I've got him." Cody assured them both. Echo stared at him for a long moment before nodding again.

"Evening, sir."

Cody tapped a quick command into the panel as the door closed, forwarding all chimes to his comm, and then went and slid into the bunk behind Rex, wrapping his arms around his little brother to pull him close.

"Cody." Rex's voice sounded distant and small.

"Go to sleep."

"I can't." Rex whispered back. In the near darkness Cody thought he saw a tear slip down his cheek. "I can't stop hearing them. Seeing them."

"You're just tired."

Rex nodded somewhat pitifully and pressed his face into Cody's chest. He _was_ tired. Exhausted even. But something inside him worried that wasn't all it was.

"What if I read to you?"

Rex made a noise that was almost a laugh. "You have some bedtime stories around here I'm not aware of?"

Cody shifted to pull a pad off the shelf above his bed and rolled to his back, propping it up on his chest.

"No. But I have some reports to read that would bore you to sleep even if you weren't dead on your feet already."

Rex re-situated himself against Cody's side and shrugged. Cody began to read and Rex let himself get lost in the pompous, exaggerated language of the GAR. Eventually, he drifted off, the rumbling baritone of Cody's voice, and his thumb sweeping across his arm, lulling him to a fitful sleep.

Rex’s breathing stopped, that was what had woken him, he was sure of it. Cody had been a big brother for as long as he could remember and the sound of breathing in his room was as much his lullaby as the sound of blaster-fire was his alarm.

He sat up, finding Rex already seated beside him on the bed, staring straight ahead at the wall.

“Rex?” He reached up and touched Rex’s shoulder, found the skin clammy and warm to the touch, muscles jumping under his skin. “Rex are you okay?”

Rex didn’t answer, just sat and stared and shook.

“Rex, c’mon vod’ika, talk to me.” Cody shifted around to face Rex, trying to get into his eye-line, but he just kept staring into middle distance, his lips moving around words Cody couldn’t make out.

“Rex?”

Cody bent forward to try and hear Rex’s voice, gripping both his forearms . The only word Cody could make out was-

“Longshot?”

Rex’s trembling took a huge uptick and Cody reached out to grab his forearms. 

"No! No go back! Please we have to go back! Longshot!"

Immediately Rex started to struggle and push against him, but no matter how many times Cody called his name he didn't react. Didn't seem to hear Cody at all. Cody suddenly became aware of the way the bed was shuddering beneath them, but a glance around showed everything else in the room remained still and silent.

A Commander for almost as long as there had been an army to command, Cody knew when to hold his ground and when to call for backup.

Cody swiped his comm off the floor.

_“Coric here.”_

“This is Cody, get to my quarters on the double, and bring the damn General.”

Rex’s blank eyed screaming was surly audible in the background, so Coric didn’t argue.

_“On my way.”_

* * *

_11 hours ago_

_Rex dropped to his knees beside the fallen master and ripped off his helmet. Immediately the oppressively hot air had beads of sweat his bucket had kept at bay sliding down his temples and soaking into the neck of his blacks. The air smelled thick of_ _sulfur and smoke._

_“General!” His hands fluttered a few inches above the man’s chest, uncertain where they could cause hurt and where they could help. The Lannik’s skin had gone sickly pale, wan and waxy._

_Rex swallowed hard, eyes frantically searching the droid wreckage all around for someone,_ anyone _, else. But the rest of the Jedi and clones had moved on to take out the droids._

_“Just hold on, I’ll go get help.” He said, already moving to jump to his feet._

_“No,” Piell grabbed his arm. His clawed hand slipped from Rex’s greave but he stilled anyway. “Don’t leave, listen to me carefully, child. The information. I need you to deliver it back to the Council.”_

_Rex was already shaking his head. “I should go get a Jedi. Surely Anakin or Obi Wan-”_

_“You_ are _a Jedi.”_

_Rex swallowed the immediate denial easily, he wasn’t going to shout at a Jedi Master, certainly not one that was dying before his very eyes. But the impulse was there, spurned by a wave of anger and grief and chest constricting fear that Rex didn’t fully understand. He felt unbalanced, had almost since this mission began. Rex had already resolved to Mediate on that later. He wondered briefly if Kenobi would help him, but flinched back from the thought when he found himself feeling uncertain of the answer._

_Master Piell squeezed his fingers and Rex was mortified to realize his mind had wandered. That hadn’t happened…ever._

_“I’m not a Jedi.” He managed, quietly, “I’m barely a Padawan sir.”_

_The Master huffed, scowling with such feeling Rex could almost pretend he wasn’t injured at all. “The force wills it. You must stop resisting, now listen. And remember it well. You are to reveal this information to no one but the Jedi Council.”_

_Rex bit his lip and bent forward, nodding along and carefully repeating the information back tot he master several times to make sure he had it right. He didn’t think about how he shouldn’t have needed to repeat it at all. How his steel trap mind seemed to be leaking like a sieve and when the Master finally succumbed to his injuries Rex was gripped briefly by panic, worried he’d already forgotten the coordinates he’d been given._

_Before he remembered his helmet cam would have picked it up even if he somehow forgot._

_He hefted the Jedi up over his shoulder and stood, marching in the direction the other’s had gone._

_He tried not to notice the shadows he sometimes thought he saw in the corner of his eye and refused to turn toward them._

_They’re dead. He told himself. They’re dead, there was nothing you could do. They’re not suffering anymore. They’re dead._

_His tongue tasted of ash._

_He felt a hand on his shoulder and blinked, covering his confusion by relinquishing the Jedi’s body to Cody and Lorne. When had he caught up with the others?_

_“You okay Rex?” Anakin squeezed his shoulder and Rex looked, first at Anakin, then over to where Kenobi was standing with his back to them._

_He nodded._

_“I’m fine.”_

* * *

Present

Cody leaned against the corridor wall, arms and ankles crossed, head tipped back against the bulkhead. His eyes were closed but he wasn’t asleep. He stood up immediately when the doors to the medbay swished open.

“How is he?”

Obi Wan was in just his sleeping tunics and socks, same as Cody was in only his blacks and untied boots.

“Resting. I put him into a meditative coma for now. Until I can get him in to see the mind healers on Coruscant.”

Cody uncrossed his arms to prop his hands on his hips. “Mind healer? That doesn’t sound good.”

Obi Wan gave a rather undignified shrug. He must have been very tired to allow it.

“Yes and no. It would be better if he didn’t need one but, at least there is one to take him to.”

Cody nodded, looking at the floor. He felt Obi Wan’s hand come up and squeeze his shoulder.

“I couldn’t reach him. It was like he couldn’t even see me. Didn’t know where he was.”

“I don’t know if he did. He is…it’s as if he’s slipped into…a fissure in the Force.”

Cody looked up and Obi Wan winced, shrugging again. “I’m sorry. I don’t appear to have the vocabulary to explain it better.” He took his hand back to stroke his beard, endeavoring to try anyway. “It’s as if he’s, fallen into the force, his mind is accessing a plane he isn’t meant to. It’s overwhelmed him.”

“Like when he had Burnout?”

“Not exactly. More like…Force Overload.” He winced again and dropped his arms to his sides. “I’m sorry. I’m not explaining this very well.” 

Cody just nodded, leaning back against the bulkhead again. It almost seemed as if the wall was the only thing keeping him upright. “So what’s happening? What’s caused all this.”

Obi Wan shook his head, turning to lean back beside his commander. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know,” Cody repeated, turning to look at him, “What do you mean you don’t know?”

Obi Wan raised an eyebrow at the hostility leaking into Cody’s voice.

“I mean I don’t know, Cody. I’ve only just become aware of the problem.”

“I don’t understand. I thought you were training him.”

“I am but-”

“Then how did you not know about this?”

Obi Wan winced. Didn’t say how lax he’d been in Rex’s training since Mortis. Didn’t confess his worry that maybe Rex was in over his head and didn’t feel comfortable coming to Obi Wan with the problem.

That Obi Wan feared all of this was his fault.

“Cody, training to become a Jedi is a very complex and exhausting undertaking. I can’t possibly train him on everything at once.” He said instead, in his best ‘I’m a reasonable member of the Jedi Council’ voice.

“Why not.” Cody did not seem impressed.

“Cody please-”

“I’m serious. Why not? Four year old Cadets on Kamino have already received more physical and mental training than most natborns get in their entire lives. Why would you think he couldn’t handle anything you could throw at him?”

“Cody there was no reason to think up to this point that Rex needed any more than he’d already been given. I didn’t want to put more pressure on what was already a difficult situation.”

“We were _made_ for pressure. Trust me when I tell you Rex can take whatever you give him. And if for some reason he can’t he’s a grown man and he can tell you that. But you holding him back is hurting him. That’s _not_ why I told him to go to you.”

“ _Commander_!”

The medbay doors were open, Coric standing at the threshold a few feet away from is COs. Obi Wan suddenly became aware of the way everyone nearby in the corridor and medbay had gone stone still and silent. The unnatural quiet of soldiers pretending not to hear what they knew they were not meant to. 

Obi Wan reached to smooth down his robe before he remembered he wasn’t wearing it.

"Coric."

The Medic dipped his chin in acknowledgment but didn’t look at him. Instead he had eyes only for his Commander.

“Cody,” Coric walked right up into Cody’s space, a move Obi Wan wasn’t sure he would have even attempted with how tightly Cody was wound at the moment. 

“You’re worried. I understand that. But maybe you out to take a walk, before you say something you’ll regret.” The medic’s words were softly spoken, his fingers hooked around Cody’s neck at the juncture of his shoulder, the way he’d observed him doing for men who’d just been told they would never recover from an injury, or that their closest brother wasn’t coming back from this campaign.

And just like all of them Cody’s shoulders slumped, his chin dropping and his eyes going to one side.

Obi Wan breathed. Slowly, the tension dissipated to a manageable level.

“I can’t protect him from this.” Cody said, finally. Obi Wan met his Commander’s eyes. “Only he can do that. And only if you show him how.”

Obi Wan swallowed and then gave a nod because it seemed like Cody was waiting for a response.

“So, _please_ , General.” His voice was low, measured patience and tight tight tight control. “Stop treating him like a karking cadet and teach him what he needs to know.”


	7. The Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex and Co go to Ilum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this house we Stan Keeli. That is all.

Rex had never been to the Temple healing halls before. His own general would rather be seen by Company medics than Jedi healers if he could help it, and they didn’t make it back to the core often enough for it to have come up very often anyway.

So he could be forgiven for being a little nervous.

“Has your Master been to see you?”

Rex forced his hands to untwist from his blanket and smoothed it down so he’d have an excuse for why he was staring at his lap. “No.”

“I see. Perhaps he had to meet with the Council.”

Rex nodded. “Yeah.”

The Healer was a female Pantoran, Master Chohri. She was small, drowning in robes the way all Jedi seemed to favor and Rex watched her review something on a screen opposite his bed before turning back to him. She had her palms pressed together, index finger against her deep purple lips. The light glinted off gold markings on her forehead when she smiled softly at him.

“I’m somewhat familiar with your background. You were not raised in the creche.”

“No.” Rex said. “I’m…I was raised on Kamino.” Perhaps the furthest a childhood could get from the Temple creche, really.

She nodded, taking a seat in the chair beside the bed. Rex almost wished to reach out and touch the arms of it as she did, curious if his Master had been by when he was still unconscious. He would have been able to pick up the imprint of him on the plastoid. Instead, he folded his hands tightly in his lap.

“We teach our younglings to be cautious around death. The Force is a part of everything. Connected in life and oneness in death. Those of us that are strong with the Living Force are sometimes able to bridge that divide, access the other side, as it were. You, Padawan Rex, are stronger in the Unifying Force. In your habit of touching minds as they died, you were repeatedly exposing yourself to parts of the Force that you are not truly able to handle. It is overwhelming and wreaks havoc on your control, as you saw. That is why you were seeing things that were not there and found it hard to focus. Your mind was trying to make sense of something you are not well equipped to understand.”

  
  
“What’s why I kept seeing my brothers? After they…after their deaths?”

She nodded. Rex’s tension bled into the room like physical thing and Master Chohri wished to soothe the aching child. He appeared to be a man, yes, but she could only see him the way the Force did, and he was still very much a child to It. She reached out to place a comforting hand in his, but Rex flinched away. Smoothly, she changed her trajectory to his forearm and swept her thumb across his cool skin when he relaxed into the touch.

“Yes. Your master put you in a meditative coma for the trip here due to your precarious state. I and my Padawan,” she nodded toward the silent young Chiss near the wall, “are helping you at the moment. But if you would allow it, we could meditate together now and I’ll help you heal some of the damage that was caused.”

Rex swallowed. He hadn’t meditated with anyone besides Kenobi and Keeli. The idea of allowing someone else in, behind his walls, rooting around in his thoughts and feelings and memories…he clamped down on the unease he suddenly realized he was projecting.

“Or,” the Master continued, sitting back and pulling away her hand, giving Rex enough space he was able to take a couple deep breaths, “if you prefer we can put you back under and we will wait until your Master is available?”

Rex bit his lip and let his eyes trail over to the door on the other side of the room, hoping that it would somehow open in the next few seconds and Kenobi would walk through, smiling and apologizing in that disarming way he did for being late and settle his calming presence at Rex’s side. Warm and secure and steady in a galaxy that so often seemed to spin too fast for the young clone.

After several seconds the door remained closed and Rex shied away from his bond with Kenobi, afraid what he would find if he prodded it to ask his Master to come for him.

He turned back to the Healer.

“No, that’s alright. Just tell me what I need to do.”

Master Chohri smiled, small and sad and kind, and nodded, beckoning her Padawan to her side.

“Then let us begin.”

* * *

Ahsoka was doubtful when she commed Jesse looking for Rex and he’d directed her to the Senate building. But, as she rounded the corner to the public viewing area, she spotted him immediately. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his scuffed white armor among the well dressed senate aides and reporters. His arms were folded casually and he leaned against the wall behind the last row of seats near the door.

She waved and caught his attention immediately, his helmet swinging toward her an instant before he straightened and moved to join her.

“I’ve never known you to sit in on Senate votes.” She said once they were in the lift on their way to the ground floor. 

“They've never voted on something I cared about before.” Rex said quietly. He held the door open for her to exit first and then followed her to the speeder parked at the edge of the platform.

“And they are now?”

“They’re voting on putting an end to decommissioning.” He settled into the passenger seat and buckled the optional five point harness. Ahsoka raised a white eyebrow marking at him, something he noticed she’d started doing after her first year in the field with the clones and Anakin.

“You don’t trust me?”

“You fly like your Master.” He grumbled and Ahsoka laughed, charging into traffic the way she would a in a fighter during a space battle. Rex sighed and reached for Calm.

“So what's the vote looking like? I know Senators Amidala and Chuchi have been reworking the Clone Rights bill based on the Decommissioning vote.”

“Nothings decided yet.” Rex watched the Jedi Temple grow on the horizon, a behemoth even among the skyscrapers that clawed at the Coruscanti skyline all around. “But a lot of good arguments are being made not to waste millions of credits killing a clone that could be used in a non-combat capacity. With the Republic barely able to pay for new units as it is, it’s hard to argue against it.”

Rex felt a pinprick of anger from his companion and glanced over to see Ahsoka pursing her lips and frowning at the vehicles flying by. Her eyes flicked over at him.

“Sorry. I just,” She huffed and her lekku twitched, a new development in the last year or so, “I wish your lives didn’t have a price on them. Your value as a person is not quantifiable.” She brought them in for a controlled decent at the landing pad where the ship was waiting and a squad of younglings were making their way over from the Temple doors.

“No use wishing for something that won't happen.” He said casually, reaching for his bag in the backseat of the speeder containing his cold weather gear. ”Anyway, its a step in the right direction. Even if it’s the only one ever made its worth a lot. A lot of lives will be saved. And a lot less sleepless nights for brothers who are...different.”

Ahsoka looked at him with big, sad blue eyes.

“I guess. I still wish they could see you all for the being you are.”

Rex nudged her shoulder playfully, pushing gratitude in her direction. She smiled for his benefit before it fell into a serious expression that she turned on the younglings. The Human, Tholothian, Wookie and Nautolan were overjoyed when Ahsoka confirmed their suspicions that they were on their way to Ilum to take the first steps toward creating their lightsabers.

Rex, though, couldn’t quite match their enthusiasm. He’d felt excited when Kenobi first comped to tell him he'd be joining Ahsoka on the chaperoning mission. Not as her tactical support, but to join the Gathering himself.

Now, with his Master headed off on a lead on Grevious and surrounded by younglings who knew more about being a Jedi than Rex thought he ever would, he only felt uneasy and out of place. He tucked his hands behind his back when the tiny human looked at him with an odd expression on his face.  
  


“Are some clone squads coming with us too? Are we going to do battle?” He almost sounded more excited at the prospect of fighting than he did about Ilum.

“No Pietro. This is Rex, General Kenobi’s Padawan. He’s going to be creating his lightsaber too.”

The younglings turned as one to Rex then and he straightened under their awestruck scrutiny.

“That’s so cool!”

“Can you shoot a blaster?”

“Have you ever shot a droid?”

“Are you Unifying Force or Living Force?”

Rex swallowed, glancing around as if he could will Kix or Cody into existence. They were always better with cadets than he was.

“Um,” he cleared his throat and Ahsoka rolled her eyes with a small grin.

“That’s enough for now, younglings. Why don’t we load into the ship and get on our way.”

The gaggle of children whooped their excitement and rushed up the ramp ahead of Ahsoka who turned a smirk at Rex.

“Experience outranks everything, eh Rexter?”

“Usually, sir.”

“In that case, I definitely outrank you.” She reached out to bump her leather hand guard against his shoulder as she’d seen brothers do countless times. “You’re on my turf now, Padawan Rex.”

With another playful smile she turned to follow the younglings and Rex was about to do the same when he heard sound of bootfalls approaching at a run.

“Keeli?”

His brother came to a stop in front of him and pulled off his bucket, revealing a grin and a scar on his cheek that traveled up to where he was now missing part of his upper right ear.

“There room for one more on this ship?”

Rex tilted his head. “What are you talking about?”

If it was possible, Keeli’s grin widened.

“I told the General everything. He just got out of an emergency meeting with the Council.” He stuck his hand out as if introducing himself. “Padawan Keeli, at your service.”

Rex stared at the extended hand for a long second, heart pounding, before he grabbed Keeli by the shoulders and yanked him to his chest.

His brother. His batcher. With him, at his side. During this milestone as he he had been for every one before. He sent a wave of gratitude into the Force and felt it twirl joyfully around him in response.

Keeli’s arms came up to wrap around Rex’s armored shoulders, taking his brother's smothering grip in stride.

“You didn’t think I’d let you do this all alone, did you?”

Rex just smiled and held his brother a second longer before he heard the ship’s engines start up and pulled back.

“Not for a second.”

Keeli bumped his head against Rex’s bucket, then tipped it toward the ramp.

“C’mon. Anything the Jetti can do, clones can do with armor on.” His eyes flashed wild and mischievous and Rex couldn’t help but laugh, chest feeling light for the first time since Mortis. “Lets go show ‘em how it’s done.”

* * *

“Padawan Tano! Padawan Tano!” Ahsoka looked up from the readout R2 had brought her at the sound of youngling’s voice echoing down the corridor toward her.

“Calm down, Zat, what is it?”

The small Naulotan was already grabbing her arm, trying to pull her back the way he’d come.

“C’mon, you’ve got to see. The Clones, I mean, Padawan’s Rex and Keeli. They’re in the training room I…it’s amazing! You’ve got to see, c’mon!”

Ahsoka nodded and tossed the pad back to R2. “Put in the course corrections, R2, I’ll check on it when I get back.”

The droid beeped dutifully and Zat finally let go of her, using a bit of Force speed boost to take off down the hall ahead of her. Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

“Impatient younglings.”

Then, remembering she was the most senior Jedi on the ship, she smiled, took a deep breath, and did the same.

* * *

Obi Wan rubbed a hand down his face as he walked through he Negotiator, Cody at his side. “I think you ought to switch us to a four shift rotation instead of three for the time being, Cody. If we do end up engaging Grievous in this sector as intelligence suggests I want everyone as rested as possible.”

Cody nodded, shifting his helmet in his arms to make a note on his comm. “Aye sir.”

“And I also think,” the Jedi’s comm chirped and he sighed. “I forgot. I have a message from Ahsoka.”

“We can continue in a few hours if you’d like?”

Kenobi waved off the idea and keyed the entry code for his quarters.

“No, I’m sure it’s nothing you can’t be here for, Cody. She’s escorting the group to Ilum.”

Cody nodded passively but Kenobi could sense his interest. Things had been a bit tense between them since their run in outside the medbay, though Cody had apologized for his rash behavior and Obi Wan had assured him he had nothing to apologize for. He was right, after all. Kenobi regretted greatly that he hadn’t been able to see Rex while he was conscious before they were called away on the emergency mission to the Yavin sector, where reliable reports placed Grievous last ration.

An update on his brother would be appreciated by the Commander and Obi Wan thought he could at least do that much for him.

He set his comm on the table as the two pulled up the chairs and the recording began.

_“Master Obi Wan, you’ve been holding out on me.”_ Ahsoka’s face scowled into the comm, then the image turned to display what appeared to be a Salle. Rex was in his blacks, holding a training saber and wearing a helmet that covered his face and eyes. His head twitched and a small blaster bolt shot out of a remote that was out of range. Rex immediately lifted his saber and blocked it, jumping back to put some distance between himself and the device. A moment later another person entered the recording, dressed the same as Rex with his own training saber and helmet.

Obi Wan frowned.“Who is that?”

“Keeli.” Cody answered immediately. Obi Wan didn’t argue or ask how he knew, clones had an uncanny ability to differentiate each other.

As he watched it slowly became clear what Ahsoka had been talking about. Rex and Keeli ended up back to back, blocking and deflecting bolts from at least three (maybe four?) training remotes.

Suddenly Keeli swung around, bringing his training saber toward Rex’s left hip. The Captain brought his saber up in the same moment to block and jumped away so that the stick only grazed him, peels of laughter ringing out from them both. As the recording progressed the two continued to spar, striking, blocking, jumping forward and dancing back. All throughout, training bolts would occasionally rain down and each would break away, deflecting them from themselves or the other, only to turn and strike the moment the danger was averted, or they thought the other was distracted.

“Remarkable.” Obi Wan breathed.

“Sir?” Cody sounded impatient, fearing he was missing something, and Obi Wan sat up slightly, his eyes still glued to the recording.

“Do you men train like this? With sabers I mean?”

Cody shifted and Obi Wan could tell by his guilty silence what the answer was.

“I wouldn’t call it training,” Cody said finally. On the recording Rex dove for Keeli, who jumped over him, and Ahsoka shushed the younglings off screen, lest they spook the clones who apparently weren’t aware of their audience. “More like…playing.” Cody’s armor creaked when he shrugged.

Obi Wan nodded, watching in fascination as the Spar, nearer a dangerous dance or ritual than a fight, continued.

“That certainly makes sense. They don’t carry themselves as if they’ve never sparred with sabers before. Rex has only been learning Katas for a little while, and his training with me has not progressed past Shii-Cho. But this…” Obi Wan trailed off, shaking his head as Keeli suddenly bent to one knee and Rex threw himself over him, sliding his back along the other's, jumping back to his feet to deflect two shots in quick succession that would have hit Keeli in the side.

“Sir, I don’t understand.”

“They’ve invented their own fighting style.” Obi Wan said, stroking his beard, almost sounding as awestruck as the younglings in the recording. Cody started to turn toward him to ask more when Ahsoka spoke again.

_“I’m seeing elements of Shii-Cho, of course. But also Soresu and Makashi, which I assume has come from observing you and probably Master Di. But I can see…maybe Dejm So? But it’s not…”_ Ahsoka trailed off and Obi Wan nodded, picking up where she left off, turning his chin slightly so he was addressing Cody.

“Some of the movements are familiar. You see how Rex’s moves are more defensive and controlled where Keeli’s are a bit more dance-like? That’s what she means. I’m just shocked they would have learned so much from mere observation. And at their proficiency. There are improvements to be made, of course, but that they should already be so skilled is…” Obi Wan shook his head, noting that Keeli held his training saber at one end, as was traditional, whereas Rex held his in the middle, using both ends in tandem.

“To be expected.” Cody finished for him. “If theres one thing Clones know how to do, it’s learn how to master a knew fighting style or weapon as quickly and skillfully as possible.”

They fell into silence for a few moments, watching the spar unfold.

“And Dejm So?” Cody asked after a moment.

Obi Wan sighed thoughtfully. “I think that may be coincidence. That style has a lot of emphasis on saber-to-saber combat and blaster deflection. But...as she said. It’s not quite right.”

“What do you mean?” Cody shifted, leaning his elbows on his knees and scrutinizing the spar the way Obi Wan had seen him do countless times during onboarding with Shinies fresh from Kamino.

“Lightsaber combat is inherently a solitary activity. Rarely do Jedi fight side by side, even with our Padawans, and outside of sparring we do not typically fight each other or, before the war, the Sith. But Keeli and Rex, the style they are using, have _created,_ is clearly meant to maximize the efforts of a team.” Obi Wan’s voice slid into thoughtful fascination. “There is an element of playfulness, which makes sense based on what you’ve mentioned, but things could easily turn deadly under other circumstances. And there is this sort of…zone defense. Instead of being conscious of only threats to themselves, aware of the Force around their own movements, they are aware of each other, working off each other, and it seems it would easily be adaptable to a number more fighters.”

“Like a squad?”

Obi Wan blinked and turned to look at his Commander, who looked up from the spar briefly.

“We’re not solitary creatures. We’re trained, designed, to fight in groups. To have each other’s backs.”

Obi Wan nodded, just as a buzzer sounded and the remote droids dropped, lifeless, to the floor. The younglings erupted in cheers and both clones spun around, raising their sabers into defensive positions before whipping off their helmets, showing off their identical looks of surprise.

The camera swung around again to show Ahsoka’s face, pinched and annoyed.

_“I can’t believe you’ve been working with him on this without me, Master. We will have words next time I see you.”_

Obi Wan shook his head, staring at the darkness where Ahsoka’s face had been after the recording ended.

“There hasn’t been a new lightsaber style in a thousand years. Variations and adaptations yes but this…this is completely new.”

Shimmering pride and glowing pleasure began flowing off of Cody. “Would it be possible for you to send me a copy of that, sir? I think the men might like to see it.”

“Of course.” Obi Wan reached for his comm. “And perhaps, when we have a bit of free time, you men might let me sit in on one of your…play sessions. With the training sabers. It would be fascinating to see what elements the style drew from your untrained activity.”

Cody smiled, soft and gratified. “The men would never miss a chance to show off for you, General.”

* * *

Ilum was cold, as cold as any planet Rex had been to. He and Keeli stood out from the younglings in their gleaming white leathers that covered all the gaps in their armor, where The Littles just had fur-lined coats. Rex still found he felt somewhat naked without his blasters on his hip, but Ahsoka had been adamant he wouldn’t need them.

One of the kids suggested they close their eyes to choose which way they would go. Keeli shrugged and Rex assumed he’d closed his eyes so Rex did the same. In the end, Keeli went with Zat, Katoonie with Gungie and Rex was on his own.

“You’ll be alright, brother?” Keeli asked as the kids started to split off in their chosen directions.

Rex nodded. “See you on the other side.” He reached out to pull Keeli forward, thunking their helmets together.

“K’oyacyi vod’ika.”

“Padawan Keeli, let’s go before it gets too late!”

Keeli turned off to run after the impatient Naulotan.

“I’m older than you.” He called over his shoulder.

Rex just shook his head and ran off in the opposite direction.

He’d been wandering for what felt like hours now and hadn’t seen anything resembling a crystal. And was starting to get worried. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be a Jedi after all. They’d all been wrong, he was just a clone, he wasn’t meant for-

The dark spiral halted when he realized he’d come to the edge of a cliff and he could hear scuffling and swearing coming from below.

Rex dropped to his knees, peering down into the darkness, the yawning abyss before him seemed to extend downward forever. He feared down the side of the craggy rock face and immediately caught sight of gleaming white leather and a head of dark hair.

“Keeli!”

Keeli smiled, but its was strained. “Hey Rex. Boy am I glad to see you.”

“What are you doing down there?”

“Oh, you know, just hanging around.”

“Keeli.”

“Well what does it look like? I was on my way back to the opening when I slipped and fell. I was in the midst of climbing back up when I saw your beautiful face poking over the edge.”

Rex snorted inside his bucket.

“Do you need help?”

Keeli scoffed. “No, I’m fine. Have you found your crystal yet?”

Rex shook his head.

“Well what are you doing standing around here? The opening is probably more than half closed by now. Get going!”

Rex narrowed his eyes, noting the way Keeli’s arms were trembling, his left foot occasionally scraping along the wall for purchase while his right dangled uselessly.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“Keeli.”

“Okay, I twisted my ankle a little but I swear I’m fine. I’ll be up in no time. Just…just go. Go find your crystal. I’ll meet you back at the ship.”

Rex huffed. “You’re a bigger di’kut than I thought if you think I’m going to leave you here, dangling by your fingertips, on the edge of a cliff.” With that he stood, ignoring Keeli’s petulant grumbling, and began examining the surrounding walls of the cave. Finding a small stalactite that looked stable, he pulled his gripping hook out of his belt and tied it off.

“Heads up.” He called out as he stepped out over the edge, descending in long, wide jumps, until he was side by side with his brother.

“Nice of you to drop in.” Keeli huffed out quietly. Now that he was closer Rex could see the pained grimace he was trying to hide, the fear in his eyes and sweat and blood running in a trail down the side of his face.

“Where’s your bucket?” He grunted, pulling Keeli’s own grappling hook off his belt and wound it around both their waists, tying them together.

Keeli glanced quickly downward. “Came off in the fall. I think…I think I hit my head.”

Rex grunted again, satisfied with his work, he nudged Keeli’s legs around his back.

“Yeah, looks that way. Sitrep?”

Keeli sighed. “A little foggy. Dizzy. And you never told me you were twins, vod.” Keeli grinned, sloppy and concussed.

Rex sighed, holding himself still as Keeli shifted his weight onto Rex’s back. “Just hold on and keep talking if you feel like you’re going to lose consciousness.”

Keeli grunted his understanding and Rex tipped his head back, somehow the fifty foot climb looked further from down here.

He’d only ascended about 15 feet when Keeli stopped answering his questions and his limbs went loose, dragging their weight off center.

“Haar’chak,” Rex swore, straining against the sharp rock and cold to pull himself and Keeli’s dead weight (unconscious, not dead, his brother was _not dead_ ) back closer to the wall. His calves ached and his biceps shook, but he grit his teeth and, after a couple deep breaths and rearranging Keeli slightly, he continued the climb.

It was five feet after that that his tie off gave out just as he was reaching over his head for the next hold. Ice and rock rained down around them as the grappler came flying over the edge and his foot slipped, leaving him holding both their weights with just one arm, swinging from his fingertips. Rex swore again, flailing blindly in the dark for a ledge, his boots slipping against the icy facade and blood seeping through the cuts in his gloves.

“C’mon!” He shouted, teeth clenched. He his hand slapped against the rock, the movement causing Keeli’s body to swing out again and Rex felt his fingers slip, the darkness below seemed to howl for its next meal.

_(Calm, child)_

He huffed. He wasn’t calm, couldn’t _be_ calm. Not _now_. If he couldn’t get a grip he was going to fall and he and Keeli were both going to _die_ here on this Force forsaken rock.

_(There is no death, there is only the Force)_

“What kind of di’kutla osik is that?” Rex hissed, sliding his free hand frantically against the rock face, Keeli’s forehead bounced against his back. Panic rose in his chest as the muscles in his left arm pulled, straining and stretching further than they should.

_(Emotion, yet peace)_

Peace, peace, peace. Jedi were always talking about Peace. How was he supposed to have peace when he was hanging off a karking cliff?

**_You’re right. There’s no point. You won’t make it. You should let go._ **

Rex froze just as his right hand made contact with a ledge and grabbed hold. For a half a second he didn’t flail, didn’t reach, didn’t hardly breathe.

**_You are wrong, brother. He is strong. He can make it._ **

Rex closed his eyes, his heart pounding. _It can’t be._

**_Oh, but it can. Did you think you could give yourself to me so fully and be rid of me just as easy?_ **

Rex’s head whipped to the side, two glowing red orbs peered at him from the darkness.

“I didn’t…I wouldn’t.” He swallowed hard, something strange and dark and _missingemptyerased_ tugged at the back of his mind.

**_There is no time. Your strength is failing. You must climb._ **

Rex turned to his other side, a soft white light gleamed in the darkness just far enough away he couldn’t quite make out the source.

He looked up. The edge seemed so far away now. Too far.

“I’ll never make it.”

**_You must!_ **

**_Give up. It’s so much easier._ **

Rex bit his lip. It would be easier, so much easier, to fall. He wouldn’t have to keep trying to be something he feared he would never live up to. Wouldn’t have to deal with Jesse’s expectant looks or Master Yoda’s knowing ones. Wouldn’t have to worry about all the brothers he couldn’t protect or the way the hopes and dreams of a million men seemed to rest on his shoulders now. He could rest, finally, blissfully, in a dreamless sleep.

“There is no death. Only the force.” He whispered, screwing his eyes shut.

_(Yes, Child. But now is not time.)_ Rex breathed. Through the chest constricting panic, through stomach rolling doubt. He breathed and breathed. _(Passion child. In your passion, there is serenity.)_

Rex looked up, eyes straining to see the rim of the cliff.

His boots scraped against the side of the wall clawing for a foothold. Finally, his toe caught a jagged edge.

**_Think of your brother. He needs you._ **

Rex straightened his leg, searched with his other toe. Found an outcropping.

**_They don’t believe you can do it. Do you really think you can prove them wrong?_ **

Right hand reaching, sliding, grabbing, pulling.

_(Chaos, yet harmony)_

Rex swallowed, he gasped through his teeth and chapped lips.

Search, grip, pull. Slide, catch, stand.

His mind fell into a light meditative state Kenobi had taught him. He pictured his panic, his fear, his anger and exhaustion. Looked at them. Acknowledged them.

_(Ignorance, yet knowledge)_

He released them into the Force.

He climbed.

The voice sang.

Rex dumped Keeli off his back at the top of the cliff and collapsed beside him with a groan. Every muscle in his body throbbed, shuddered from exhaustion. He pulled off his bucket, letting the icy cave air sweep over his sweaty face. His lungs ached from the temperature change but Rex breathed deep anyway. He rolled over onto his hands and knees, his arms nearly gave out beneath him and he went to his right elbow,reaching out with his left to Keeli’s neck.

He sagged to the ground in relief when he felt the steady thump of a pulse against his fingers and let his forehead rest in the dirt for a moment.

It was a few seconds later when he had his breath back and the worst of the shakes had passed, when he realized he could still hear the Voice singing.

He blinked, confused.

It wasn’t the Voice. He could never actually _hear_ the Voice. More just the impression of thoughts and words and feelings in his mind.

But this, this was _definitely_ a sound. A light, laughing sound that seemed to vibrate all around him.

Keeli groaned. “Did I miss the fun part?”

Rex ignored him, instead looking up, scanning the darkness for the source of the sound, when his eyes landed on the wall where he’d tied his grappling hook.

And the tiny, glowing crystal that stood out there now, singing and reaching for him.

Rex got up and stumbled toward it.

He started to reach out and then instead pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into his belt. The singing ratcheted up a notch, a melodic, joyful song that Rex found oddly soothing.

He plucked the crystal out of the wall and the glowing went muted, the singing became quiet, turned inward, wound around his thoughts and curled up in his mind somewhere between The Voice and Brotherhood and it made Rex want to smile.

He folded his fingers into a fist around the crystal, soaking up the _happyhomelight_ from it and then turned, finding Keeli attempting to climb to his feet.

Rex walked over and pulled Keeli’s arm up across his shoulders and they started a slow, hobbling pace back toward the entrance.

“Find what you were looking for?”

Rex felt the crystal, warm and happy in his palm. Thought of the long, arduous climb he hadn't thought he could complete.

“I think so.”

“You sound surprised. You shouldn’t be.”

Rex turned toward him.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Keeli grimaced when he put too much pressure on his foot and shifted more of his weight on Rex, who took it without complaint. “I’ve known you since you were too small to hold a blaster rifle. You’ve never believed you were good enough. Or that you deserved any good thing that came to you. Maybe now you will.”

* * *

In the work room all the initiates and Padawans were seated at their own tables working on their lightsabers. A couple of the younglings, Gungie and Katoonie, were making irritable noises as the sabers’ delicate construction continued to elude them, and the old droid was scolding Pietro for getting his power emitter inverted.

Rex glanced over at his brother when he made a satisfied noise and Keeli ignited his completed saber.

“Purple. Nice.” Ahsoka leaned against the back of Rex’s chair and folded her arms over her chest.

Both Rex and Keeli had ended up with Beskar for their sabre’s construction, though Rex went for something rather simple in design and Keeli’s was…a bit more eye-catching.

"Why the curved handle?" Rex wondered aloud. Keeli stood, hopping on one foot, and swung his saber around, rotating his wrist in a whirl of purple light on his left and then his right. The low hum of the saber cutting through air drew the eyes of the gathered younglings as Keeli whipped it through the air, before bringing it up in the standardready stance, the purple blade held straight up glowing right in front of his nose.

He met Rex’s eyes and smirked.

“’Cause I'm regal, bitch."

The younglings immediately burst out in embarrassed giggles. Huyang huffed, offended, and Ahsoka dropped her head into her hands.

Rex just smiled, basking in the glittering glow of Keeli in rare form and intensely pleased with himself.

“Of course it is.”

Keeli deactivated his saber and clipped it to his belt on the hook all Clone Commanders had added to their utility belts when it became apparent how often Jedi tended to lose their weapons. Behind them Huyang was redirecting the younglings attention to their own sabres, sounding a little put out and cautioning them not to use such ‘undignified language’ amongst themselves.

“So you almost done with yours?”

Rex sighed and turned back to his completed saber on the table in front of him.

“Yes.” He said, glaring down at the weapon. It was shiny, dark Beskar, like Keeli’s. But a straight handle and double sided. Rex felt a little self conscious about that. He would have preferred something a bit more…normal. But the Voice frowned at him when he’d tried to construct it that way and the Krystal seemed none to pleased about it either.

"Whats wrong?" Keeli asked, coming up beside him. He could feel Ahsoka leaning over the back of his chair to peer over his shoulder as well.

"Doesn’t look right." Rex replied, scowling down the weapon, hands resting lightly on the table beside it, not touching.

Keeli motioned toward the pile of small white pieces left forgotten nearby.

"What about these?"

Rex shook his head. "Didn’t need them."

Keeli tilted his head. Slowly, a smile spread across his lips.

"May I?"

Rex looked up, shrugged and nodded.

"Knock yourself out." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Keeli closed his eyes. He raised a hand toward the deactivated lightsaber. Rex became aware of the chatter of the younglings dying off again and Ahsoka coming around to lean her side against him. Absently, he leaned into her in return and the warmth of Brotherhood coming off her presence.

Keeli's brow furrowed in concentration and Rex's lightsaber slowly lifted off the table to float about a foot in the air. After a moment, the pile of spare parts began floating as well. The lightsaber slowly turned and rotated, the spare parts twirling into a small, elegant orbit around it until each one was nestled into place on the hilt with a soft click.

After the last had been attached, Keeli turned his hand over and the lightsaber dropped into his palm. When he opened his eyes and looked down at it, he huffed a small laugh.

"What?"

Keeli held it out and Rex took it, exchanging a glance with Ahsoka.

"Go on, Rexter. How does it look?"

Rex turned the saber over in his hands until he saw it. Keeli had attached the spare parts in a configuration over the activation switch.

He looked up, wide eyed. "My Jaig eyes?"

"They belong to you. You should wear them. Even as a Jedi."

Rex looked back down, swiping his thumb across the swoops and points of the emblem. They were tucked inside a circle, split apart by a straight line extending from a starburst. An elegant amalgam of both the Jaig eyes and the symbol of the Jedi Order.

The Voice hummed it’s contentment.

"What do you think, Rex? Look right now?"

He flicked his thumb across the switch and one side of his saber activated in a bright blue beam.

501st blue.

"Yeah." He smiled. "Looks just right."

* * *

“Rex, go! I can handle this!”

Keeli stopped at the end of the hallway, the younglings and damaged old droid had already escaped into the cockpit. Rex met his eyes and Keeli pursed his lips, reading his intentions as if he’d spoken them aloud.

Rex felt reassurance and determination from him in his mind and nodded. Keeli turned and slammed his hand on the panel, the door slamming shut between them. Rex turned back to Ahsoka and ignited both ends of his saber.

“I’m with you, Commander.”

Ahsoka nodded tightly, swinging both her sabers around to the ready position.

“Think it through, Hondo.” She growled. “You don’t want this to get ugly.”

Around them the pirates chuckled thinking, with their superior numbers, they had the upper hand.  
  
“Oh, you let the clone have a lightsaber but not me? I’m hurt. I thought we were friends.” Hondo exclaimed dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.

“You thought, wrong.” Ahsoka crouched low, moving to stand back to back with Rex like she’d seen him do with Keeli.

Rex hadn’t trained with live fire yet, mostly just sparring with training sabers and the remotes, but he found his connection with the Force now was a little more stable than it had been before. There was a headspace he’d slipped into while climbing on Ilum that proved to be rather useful in a fight.

He felt a sort of muffled detachment, his worries and fears floating just out of reach. Instead he saw with clarity the blaster bolts that fired on them from all directions, saw where the ones that ricocheted off their blades would land, where the ones that were yet to fire would come from.

Still Ahsoka, it turned out, didn’t need all that much backup. She was as capable and fierce in battle as ever and cleared the ship of nearly every pirate almost single handedly as it shook and rattled, attempting to pull free of the enemy ship’s docking port. Rex’s head began to throb, just a little, as the atmosphere was sucked away, but he called on the Force, wrapped it around himself and continued on. He dodged the last pirate as they were dragged around the corner, heading straight for the damaged docking port and Ahsoka, who was shouting onto the wall panel, ordering they jump into hyperspace.

“Ahsoka, look out!”

She looked up mere seconds before the weequay’s body slammed into her, pushing her over the threshold into Hondo’s ship. Rex’s eyes widened, his hand flying toward her of it’s own accord.

_Panic_ , she’s behind enemy lines.

_Fear_ , what if we leave without her.

_Knowledge_ , I can help her.

_Peace_ , take action. Bring her back.

Ahsoka’s small body crashed into his with the momentum of his pull and the bay doors slammed shut behind them.

Rex groaned slightly, some of his older aches and pains making themselves known as gravity and atmosphere were restored.

“You alright?”

Ahsoka coughed twice and sat up unknowingly pressing her whole weight onto his chest. She grinned, a feral, wild thing that reminded him of Fives’ when he and Echo were running their specially programmed sims.

“That was fun!”

A half dozen feet thundered down the hallway toward them and Rex rolled so she dropped to the ground beside him.

“Absolutely not, Commander.”

* * *

Rex waited in the auxiliary hanger bay as the younglings and Ahsoka filed out. Cody tipped his head toward him before following.

The odd silence of the hanger seemed heavy and unnatural and Rex wondered if Cody had ordered every vod on duty to vacate for how deserted it seemed.

Obi Wan had his hands tucked behind his back and Rex shifted his helmet against his hip.

“You did very well, Padawan.”

Rex dipped his chin. “Thank you, sir.”

Silence again. Awkward. Uncertain.

“I wanted to tell you-”

“Sir if I could just-“

They both stopped, smiling somewhat sheepishly at one another.

“Go ahead.” Kenobi dipped his chin.

Rex tapped his fingers along the rim of his bucket.

“I heard about what Cody said to you. It’s not…he shouldn’t have. I’m very grateful for your training. I feel…well he just shouldn’t have. It wasn’t his place. I’m sorry.”

Obi Wan seemed uncomfortable, but all Rex could sense over their bond was detached calm.

“I hold no ill will toward Cody. It seems my dear Commander is extremely logical and level headed…except when it comes to his favorite baby brother.” Rex looked away, abashed, and Obi Wan nudged him lightly with his shoulder. “Anyway he was right. And you shouldn’t be sorry. On the contrary, I am the one who owes you an apology Rex. I haven’t been fully committed to you. I thought that I was giving you space to make your own decision, but I see now by keeping myself at a distance I wasn’t giving you the support you need.”

Rex bit his lip and watched as Kenobi reached out, touching the leather braid hanging off the back of his helmet somewhat reverently.

“You asked about a ritual to go with the braid. There is. If you’re willing, I would very much like to complete it with you.”

Rex swallowed, emotion welling up too thick in his throat so that he could only nod.

“Perhaps the next time we are on Coruscant? The Council has recalled us, there is a mission they wish to discuss with me.”

Rex smiled. “Alright. I mean, yes. Master.”

“Good man.” Obi Wan sighed and straightened. Warmth flooded the bond alongside the calm, but Rex couldn’t help wanting more, like the openness they’d had before Mortis. He wondered what Obi Wan was looking for when he searched his face a beat longer than was normal before nodding again and turning to make his way out of the hanger.

He felt reassured. His Master still wanted him. Whatever Rex was or wasn’t enough of, Obi Wan wasn’t going to hold it against him.

  
  
And yet still, as he left, The Son's mocking voice echoed in Rex's mind.

_Did you think you could give yourself to me so fully and be rid of me just as easy?_

And Rex wondered...what didn't he know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The design on Rex's saber is based on [this image](https://i.imgur.com/Obk3m5Q.jpg) created by the incredibly talented [cac0aemonia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cac0daemonia/pseuds/cac0daemonia)


	8. Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenobi finds a way to avoid certain mistakes and instead makes different ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Healthy Adult Conversations will happen I Swear!!

_“Me?”_ Obi Wan wouldn’t say it came out as a squawk, but the noise of surprise he made at Mace’s announcement was certainly less dignified than he usually preferred.

“The Chancellor was adamant. You are the only one he trusts to get the job done.”

Obi Wan frowned, and by the angle of Yoda’s ears and the twitching of Kit’s lekku, he was not the only one troubled by that particular revelation.

“I’m not sure how I feel about being the one he trusts.” He said, stroking his beard. A nervous habit he knew his men mocked good naturally behind his back. “Surely there is someone else capable? What about Master Vos?”

“We cannot risk exposing Quinlan. His status as a Shadow would be irrevocably compromised.” Shaak pointed out, her hologram image glittering slightly in the setting sun.

“Agreed.” Master Koth nodded and Obi Wan released his building frustration into the Force.

“Masters,” he said, serene and reasonable, “I have a Padawan. You can’t possibly expect me to risk our bond of trust with this mission?”

“From the reports I’ve read your Padawan may be close to Falling as it is. Didn’t he snuff the life out of an entire bar room full of sentient’s while on assignment in the mid rim? Surly the risk to the Chancellor’s life is worth inconveniencing a Padawan as accustomed to death as this clone.”

Obi Wan cut a glare toward the Master who’d spoken.

“That was a _mistake_ , Master Krell, as you well know. And Rex’s control over his emotions has improved significantly since then.” He turned back toward Mace and Yoda, afraid if he continued to stare into the Besalisk’s beady eyes he would say something he might regret. “While Rex may be accustomed to death that does not mean we should treat his feelings as if they don’t matter. And that is to say nothing of how Anakin will react.”

“That…is actually what the Chancellor is counting on,” Mace explained somewhat haltingly. Obi Wan gave him a hard stare and was gratified when the older man was the first to look away. “The Chancellor believes Knight Skywalker’s reaction will help sell the terrorists on your death, thereby making it easier for you to get the intel.”

“I don’t understand, I thought The Chancellor was friends with young Skywalker? Surely he knows how this idea would hurt him.” Shaak wondered aloud. It was Master Fisto who answered, words hissed through his teeth.

“Apparently he is only ‘friendly’ if it doesn’t involve risking his own skins.”

“Settled the matter is.” Yoda spoke up for the first time, and the rest of the Masters automatically fell silent. “Like it any better than you, I do not. But insistent the Chancellor is.”

He raised his head, sad green eyes meeting cool blue ones.

“Become Rako Hardeen, Master Kenobi shall.”

* * *

Rex, like all troopers, was a bit prone to showing off. So when Master Kenobi suggested a little spar after their training, he leapt at the chance. 

They'd been more or less evenly matched, though Rex expected Obi Wan was taking it easy on him, Rex was more than gratified to spy sweat dotting his hairline and a look of concentration on his face.

And Rex still had another trick up his sleeve.

Leaping through the air, he swung his dual blade to one side and then whipped around to the other, expecting to find Obi Wan holding a defensive stance on his left while Rex swiped down from the right.

Instead Kenobi's blade was there to meet him.

He stumbled in his surprise.

“Everything alright Padawan?” Obi Wan asked, smirking infuriatingly, backing off a couple steps.

Rex looked down at his humming saber. “No one’s ever predicted that move before.” To be fair Rex had only really sparred with Keeli, Tano and Anakin. But still.

Obi Wan laughed, swinging his saber from side to side, both their blades hummed happily in the Force. “None of them had probably fought someone with a double sided saber before.”

Rex shrugged and jumped forward again, frustrated when each of his best moves was met and countered with ease. 

Eventually, Kenobi called an end to their spar, and Rex brought his blade up to the center of his face and bowed. Obi Wan did the same. 

"So who is it? I've only ever seen Temple guards with a lightsaber like mine. I didn't think they spent much time with other Jedi." Rex asked, powering down his saber and dropping the mats to start his usual routine of post workout stretching. 

Obi Wan extinguished his own saber and went to the wall to retrieve a couple bottles of water from the bench. “It was on Naboo just before my Master died.That's when I started training Anakin.” He said, deciding to leave out that the person he'd fought had been a Sith. He didn't think Rex would appreciate the comparison. 

“I’m sorry.” Rex said, lifting his head from the mat, sitting up from his stretch and watching Obi Wan with soft brown eyes.

“There is no need to be. A Jedi is not meant to be attached to their Masters. There is no Death. Only the Force.” He said a bit prim, guilt followed, as it always did, when he tried to promote the Jedi beliefs he didn’t necessarily excel at himself. Not a day went by that he didn't think of, and mourn, Qui Gon's loss.

His gut clenched as the tasks that lay ahead of him in the next few hours floated to the forefront of his mind. He swiped a thought across his door to Rex and confirmed it was firmly closed and took a brief moment to mourn the realization. The doors between him and his new Padawan had been closed too often of late.

Rex frowned, moving to stand.

“Maybe it is. But that doens't mean it doesn’t hurt.” He said, a thoughtful frown on his face. He reached out to take the water his Master handed him.

“Rex.” Obi Wan said, tapping a finger on the side of his bottle.

The blonde raised an eyebrow when he’d finished nearly half his water and the Jedi still hadn’t finished his sentence.

“Yes Master?” He prompted.

“I hope…if anything ever happened to me,” Obi Wan's voice caught and he covered it with a sip of water. “Well I hope you would continue your training.”

Rex wiped a towel over his sweaty head and draped it around his neck.

“If you would agree to wear a bit more armor like Cody asks I wouldn’t need to worry about it.” He said, teasing in his voice and glimmering in the Force around him.

Obi Wan rolled his eyeshot smiled. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your tendency to remove your lower armor when you spar with Ahsoka, Padawan Mine.”

Rex’s presence glowed, the way it always did when he called Rex that, and Obi Wan allowed himself to bask in it for a moment, pushing to the back of his mine, just for now, how shattered that very same glow would probably feel just a few hours from now.

“You’re sure you won’t join us tonight? I think Anakin and Ahsoka are hoping to stop at Dex’s for dinner.”

Rex shook his head. He'd taken a seat on the bench by the wall and was wiping his lightsaber down with a soft cloth Obi Wan had seen many of the clones use on their blasters after running sims. It wasn’t something the Jedi usually did, care for their weapon in that particular way, though they often performed mediations that essentially amounted to maintenance on the crystal itself. Obi Wan thought it was a little bit adorable that Rex did though.

“The boys in the 501st invited me to 79s tonight. Thought it would be nice to catch up with them.” He finished wiping the weapon down and collapsed it so it would fit in the small of his back where his thermal detonator used to sit. It called no attention to itself there, Obi Wan noticed. His eyes went up to the tiny braid tucked behind Rex’s ear. He smiled softly at the memory of Rex, uncertain and awkward but also so bright and earnest in the Force, as Obi Wan had lead him through the Master-Padawan bonding ceremony earlier that day.

He watched Rex frown down at the weapon, hesitating in speaking his mind as always and Obi Wan waited. He suddenly thought he could not have felt more protective of the younger man if he tried.

Or more _attached_.

“I was thinking…well I thought maybe I should think about going back. To the 501st I mean.” Rex managed finally, just as Obi Wan knew he would.

Obi Wan sighed, pursing his lips but nodding.

“I can’t say that I’ll be glad to see you go, but I’m not surprised. Your training is coming along exceptionally well. Better than the war is, that much is certain. I believe the 501st could use your expertise. Both as a Commander, and as a Jedi.”

Rex looked up, eyes shining. He grinned. “Thank you, sir.”

Obi Wan reached out to squeeze Rex’s shoulder when he stood and they both turned to leave the room.

“Have fun with your brothers tonight Rex. Please, don’t get arrested.”

Rex laughed, the way Obi Wan wished he would more often, delighted and carefree. “You too Kenobi. Stay out of trouble.”

Obi Wan lifted a hand in a wave and watched until Rex disappeared around the corner near a large window in the outside wall of the Temple.

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, the weight of his mission heavy on his shoulders.

“I’ll do my best, Padawan Mine.”

* * *

79s didn’t have open and closed hours in the traditional sense. Clones came and went off world at all times of the planetary day and night.

But it was at it's rowdiest at night, which is when the 501st, Torrent Company especially, liked to frequent if they could.

Rex found himself pressed between skin and plastoid as he made his way through the bar, eyes on Jesse and a handful of other troopers in white and blue paint all squeezed into a large, round booth at the back.

Hands slapped his pauldron and back plates, voices tumbled over each other asking what he wanted to drink, their treat, and could they see his lightsaber?

Rex, in his infinite wisdom, decided letting his tipsy, exuberant men handle the deadly weapon wasn’t the best idea. Instead he pulled it off his back and ignited it himself.

The gathered men let out whoops of joy and pounded the table in thunderous applause of the deep blue color of the blade.

Rex was two drinks in, laughing with his men, catching up and enjoying jokes at each other’s expense, when everything came crashing down around him.

He frowned, taken out of the reverie slightly by a sudden shift in the Force, a wave of _not right_ that seemed to flow into him from places unknown. Suddenly feeling uneasy and strangely nauseous, he excused himself from the table and started toward the doorway that lead to the Freshers.

He pressed a question to the Voice, but the response was muted, intangible, as the Force always was on Coruscant.

Behind the wave of anxiety came a sudden, intense, burning pain followed by clawing emptiness flaring up in his mind and Rex’s hand flew to his head. His knees gave out and he would have sunk to the floor if not for the strong arm that wrapped around his waist.

“A little too much to drink Commander?” Jesse voice was in his ear. Seeing Rex's pained face his smile sobered. “Rex? You okay?”

Rex looked up, unaware of the look of fear on his face that matched the sinking in his stomach. Just over Jesse’s shoulder he saw Kix shoving his way over from the bar, the drink’s they’d ordered forgotten on the top.

“I don’t know,” he grimaced, carefully reaching for his bond with Kenobi (his Master, his friend) but pulled away when it burned his senses, sharp and angry. “Something…something’s wrong.”

Commotion at the door had everyone looking up as a pair of soldiers in Guard Red barreled in. Rex felt Jesse’s arm tighten around him as Kix reached them and he leaned into them slightly, suddenly feeling that he was going to need the support from his brothers for whatever came next.

“Commander.” The Guard stopped a few feet away, Kix’s glare was enough to stop most troopers in their tracks. The kid pulled off his bucket revealing an Aubresh tattoo along the line of his jaw and a sad look in his eyes.

“Sir. You should come with us. There’s been an accident.”

* * *

Cody helped Rex back to his own room after the funeral, knowing Rex preferred to stay close to him when he felt off balance. After watching Obi Wan’s covered body be swallowed up into the floor and burned away, Cody couldn't deny they were probably both feeling a little out of alignment.

Rex seemed to be in a bit of a daze, sometimes responsive to Cody’s questions and sometimes not, and Cody always dealt with his own grief better when he was helping someone else work through theirs.

Rex slid from his arms easily since they were both in Dress Grays, and crumpled onto to Cody's bunk, head in hands, elbows on his knees. Cody rested his palm against the back of his neck for a few moments, standing with his leg pressed to Rex’s shoulder, and stared at the wall.

He tried not to think, but his mind wouldn’t stop spinning with questions he had no answers to, tasks he needed to finish. He needed to see to his men. Needed to help them through their grief, make sure the ones who dealt well were there for the ones that didn’t. Needed to contact the GAR, find out who would be promoted to the 3rd Systems Army High General in Obi Wan’s stead. And Rex…

What would happen to Rex now? Would he get to continue down this path toward Greatness that Cody knew he deserved?

Or without Kenobi’s protection would the Kaminoans swoop in and decommission him for the mere insolence of being exceptional.

Cody felt movement under his fingers and looked down to see Rex wiping roughly at his eyes. He squeezed once more and then went to a small box on a shelf above his desk. He pushed aside pieces of flimsy with letters on them, a couple handmade gifts from younglings on planets he could no longer remember the names of, paused thoughtfully over the Piece of Nubian chocolate before pushing it aside as well.

He grabbed the flask from the bottom of the box and put it back. Just as he turned back to Rex he caught sight of a a holo disk on his desk. He took a long swig of the pleasantly smokey alcohol (a gift from his General after the first time he tried that karking swill the boy's fermented, but Cody wasn't thinking about that) and frowned thoughtfully at the small device. He always cleared his desk when he left his room. This hadn’t been there before.

He went back to the bunk and dangled the flask in front of Rex's bowed head.

"Here."

Rex looked up, eyes red rimmed and wet. It took him a second to realize what Cody was saying and then took the flask gratefully.

Cody left him to have a few private moments to himself and wandered back over to his desk and the mysterious holodisk. He picked it up and activated it with a flick of his thumb.

He stared, at a loss, for a moment at the sight of his General with a pained expression on his face, arms folded behind his back and clearly standing in his room at the Temple.

Cody wondered where it had come from, who’d brought it and why…

His eyes fell to the time stamp on the recording and he nearly dropped the device entirely.

“Rex.”

Instantly Rex was at his side, the croaking desperation and disbelief in Codys’ voice enough to bring his brother out of his grief for a moment.

“What is it?”

Cody breathed purposefully a few times before indicating the timestamp for Rex’s attention.

The flask hit the floor with an empty metallic _clang_.

Without being asked, Cody hit play.

_“Hello Rex. Let me start by saying I deeply apologize for any hurt I have caused you. Let me also assure you that, despite what you have heard or think you know, I am alive. I have been tasked by the Council and the Chancellor for a mission of utmost importance. His very life may be in danger. The deception and subsequent hurt this has caused is…something I deeply regret. It was not my first choice. Unfortunately, no one can know what I’ve just told you. I am in fact breaking orders by telling you but…after all our…miscommunications lately, I couldn’t in good conscience keep you in the dark. I hope… I hope you can forgive me, Rex. I hope this will all be over soon and I can start to make up for what I've done. May the Force be with you._

_Kenobi out.”_

* * *

Rex stood outside Skywalker’s door, taking slow, deep breaths.

_Release your feelings to the Force._

  
  
Rex knew the words. Knew what he should do. But he didn’t want to. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Anakin answered after the first chime, an invisible wave of cold fire sweeping out into the hallway as he did so. Rex couldn’t find it in himself to fault the man for it. The look on his face matched the one in Rex’s soul.

“May I come in?”

“Actually I was just leaving, Ahsoka and I are going to-”

Rex pushed past him into his quarters. “This is important.”

“Rex, look, I need to get down to the detention center. They picked up that sleemo Hardeen and I need to question him before they ship him off to detention.”

“Fine. After this.” Rex said, calm and quiet and _still still still_.

Anakin shook his head, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He started to pace.

“I don’t get it. How can you be so calm? He _was_ my Master but he _is_ yours. How can you be so okay with Obi Wan’s murder?”

“He’s not dead.” Rex cut him off in that same emotionless monotone.

Anakin scoffed, a dark, cold laugh. “I’m sorry Rex, but I was there.”

He was angry. So angry. And Rex understood. Rex had an intimate understanding of that burning rage, the knot of anger that burned in your chest that you had to keep held tightly to yourself so that the rage could burn away the pain. Rex knew from experience the moment you let yourself let go of that anger, you would start to fall apart.

It was easier to hold on. Stay angry. Just a little bit longer.

Rex was a soldier, he understood duty. As far as he was concerned, he had two. One to the Republic. And one to his brothers. Most of the time, one did not interfere with the other (beyond that which they had been made for) but in the event it ever did, Rex didn’t have to think about which one came first.

And Anakin had said _they_ were Brothers now too.

Rex produced a small holodisk and held up the tiny, flickering image of Kenobi’s message.

His General shrugged.

“Look at the time stamp.”

Anakin did, and Rex saw him blink as if not believing what he saw. “How?” His voice was cracked and small. And Rex _burned_.

Rex slid his thumb across the button to activate the recording.

_“Hello Rex, let me start by saying I deeply apologize for any hurt I’ve caused you…”_

After watching the recording Anakin had dropped to his bunk. He was still there, head in his hands staring at the floor, Rex still standing at Parade Rest a few steps away.

“I can’t believe Obi Wan would do this. He lied to me.”

Rex bit his tongue, breathed through anger settled deep in his chest, lifted his chin and stared at the bulkhead. “He did his duty.”

Blue eyes flashed indignant and he leapt to his feet. “I don’t care about duty. How could he let me, let _us_ , just believe he was dead? We had a pyre for him!”

“I know,” Rex replied evenly. “I was there.”

Anakin bit his lip and made an angry noise, turning away to glare at the wall.

“He did his duty,” Rex said again, watching as Anakin’s shoulders bunched up. “We’ve all been ordered to do things we didn’t want to. That’s war.”

Anakin turned around, an argument already on his lips, Rex cut him off.

“How many times have you ordered me to clear the field after a battle when the life hadn’t yet left the bodies on it?”

Anakin reared back, he looked stricken. “That…that’s different.” He said, faltering. Rex didn’t even try to pretend that didn’t hurt and he saw Anakin wince.

“Is it? You didn’t care about leaving them behind?”

“No I did, but I…I didn’t have any choice, Rex.”

“I know. That’s why I don’t blame you.” He looked down, turning the deactivated disk over in his hand. “We’re all pawns. There’s only one Grand Master in this game.” Rex looked up and locked eyes with his General. His brother. “And you have his ear.”

Rex was angry, hot and sharp and burning with every breath in his lungs.

But it wasn’t Obi Wan he was angry at.

He flicked the disk into the air toward Anakin, who caught it easily.

“Maybe you should go have a conversation with him.”

* * *

***CC-1010 has opened a private comm channel with CT-7567***

_“That you blondie?”_

Rex turned in the lobby of the One Republica building and saw Fox in his red and white painted armor headed towardhim, kama swishing slightly around his knees. Long lines of sunlight streamed through the windows and cut across the polished stone floor just before it dipped behind the skyscrapers.

_“Fox.”_ Rex dipped his chin in greeting and waved toward the lifts. _“I was on my way up. You?”_

Fox nodded and joined him in the express elevator that lead to the top ten floors.

_“Hows the Core treating you Commander?”_

Fox’s eye roll was audible.

_“I’m getting pretty good at forging signatures. Waging endless battles against drunk brats with diplomatic immunity and more entitlement than sense.”_

Rex humm’d. Most of the GAR recognized a posting like Coruscant was almost worse than the front lines. Soldiers bred for battle instead forced to endure baby-sitting and near constant abuse from locals who didn’t care for having such a visible reminder of an increasingly unpopular war.

Fox seemed surprised when the lift stopped and Rex got off on the same level he did.

_“Where are you going?”_

Rex gestured loosely despite the coiled knot of tension in his gut.

_“Chancellor’s office.”_

He turned when Fox stopped abruptly.

_“Chancellor’s office. Why?”_

_“Not sure. He didn’t say. Just said I should come as soon as possible.”_

Fox’s bucket twitched as if he was scanning the hall.

_“Your Jedi meeting you there?”_

Rex winced and was glad Fox couldn’t see it. He made his voice sound calm and unaffected.

_“He’s at the Temple. Apparently he had some things to discuss with the Council.”_ He paused, noting the tense way Fox was holding himself, almost like he was getting ready for a fight. _“What’s wrong?”_

Rex squinted against the short burst of feedback that meant their comm line had been encrypted, and frowned at his older brother.

_“Fox what-“_

_“We have a policy on the books for Guard. No one meets with the Chancellor by themselves. I’m the only exception.”_

That ball of tension in Rex’s gut tightened and he bit his lip. _“Why?”_

_“Officially? I don’t want to have to clean up any messes if one of the boys starts running their mouths to the Head of State for the Galactic Republic and Commander in Chief of the entire military.”_

Rex swallowed, letting Fox herd him to the side of the hall when a pair of elegantly dressed Senators and their aides approached the lift. He dipped his chin toward them without even missing a beat in his next sentence.

_“Unofficially, I don’t trust Palpatine as far as I can drop kick him and too many men leave his office not remembering anything about what happened while they were there or sometimes for hours or days after.”_

Fox’s voice was low, quiet despite the fact they were speaking on a closed, encrypted frequency. The heat of his hand tucked into Rex’s elbow did not escape Rex's notice, nor did the fear and anger pouring off the Commander into the Force.

Rex could hear Fox’s urgent breathing in his ear and it occurred to him that the older Commander was worried for him.

_“I’ll be alright, Fox.”_ He tried to assure him. Fox squeezed his elbow.

_“Maybe I should go with you.”_ He said, gruff, and Rex felt him fortifying his walls and the emotions leaking out of him became more muted. _“You’re Cody’s favorite, blondie. He’ll kill me if anything happens to you.”_

Rex swallowed, straightening up from where Fox had him nearly pressed against the wall. _“No. He didn’t ask for you. He’d just be suspicious.”_

Fox’s anxiety was setting him on edge and Rex clenched his fist, wishing that he’d brought his lightsaber. But the Voice, despite how difficult it was to hear on Coruscant, had made that seem like a very bad idea.

_“I’ll be fine. I promise.”_ He assured Fox once more, knocking their bracers and pulling out of his grasp.

Rex made his way down the hall and paused just before swiping his hand over the chime to the Chancellor’s office. He looked back at Fox.

_“I’ll just be a few doors down if you need me.”_

Rex nodded and the doors swished open.

“Captain,” the chancellor’s aide who answered the door dropped her eyes and dipped her chin deferentially, “The Chancellor has been expecting you.”

Rex took a deep breath and walked into the office.

He’d been before, of course, with Anakin and Obi Wan a few times, so he wasn’t taken aback by the lush red carpeting and luxurious furnishings.

The Chancellor was seated behind his massive dark wood desk, the sprawling Coruscant skyline wrapping around the room thanks to the floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows.

Rex wondered what it must be like to be so sure of your safety that you gave no thought at all to the risk of allowing your back that kind of exposure.

“Sir.” Rex snapped out a salute, coming to attention just a few feet in front of the desk.

“CT-7567?”

Rex flinched just slightly and dropped his arm to his side. He hesitated, wondering if he should correct the man. As a clone trooper the idea was unthinkable. But as a Jedi…

“It’s Rex, sir.” He said, voice stronger than he felt, staring out the window over Palpatine’s head.

A wave of… _something_ slid out from the Chancellor and Rex’s eyes shifted down to the man’s face in surprise, catching a look of tightly reigned fury flash across his craggy features before it smoothed away and the diplomatic apathy Rex recognized from the Holonews was back in place _._

“Well, _Rex_ ,” The Chancellor snapped, and Rex suddenly wished he had kept the numbers, then he wouldn’t have to live with the memory of the way his name sounded coming out of the man’s mouth. “Perhaps you can explain why you felt it was your right to expose Master Kenobi’s delicate position in a top secret mission for the Republic?”

Rex’s stomach dropped and he held his breath. For one second he was back on Kamino, four years old and terrified he was about to die because he had the audacity to perform outside normal CT parameters _and_ be decanted with blonde hair.

The Kaminoan had stared at him with empty black eyes back then, spoken of him as if he wasn't in the room. Standing in front of the most powerful man in the Republic, Rex felt that same old fear and anxiety well up in his stomach. 

_ Defective. Mutation. Insufficient. _

“Sir,” he tried, but his voice shook and barely squeaked out of his throat. He let his fists ball at his sides, hoping their shaking wouldn’t be quite so obvious that way. The thought floated through his head that he should ask the Voice for help or Calm or guidance.

But he couldn’t quite get his focus together to manage it.

The Chancellor’s cold gaze was boring into him, his insubordination a live wire in the room and Rex feared if he touched it he would never recover. Using the Voice had always been a risk, he’d thought now maybe it was safe. He’d thought...

“The Chancellor asked you a question, Rex.”

Rex was a very good soldier, he did not move. But his mouth dropped open inside the safety of his bucket as Anakin came around from behind him to stand beside the Chancellor. He hadn’t even realized he was there.

The Force swirled around them all, volatile and heavy and unfamiliar.

Rex suddenly felt very small.

“Anakin?” Rex said, trying to understand how he came to be on the receiving end of the younger man’s anger.

“I came to talk to the Chancellor like you said. He made the point that you could have put the entire mission, and _the chancellor’s life_ in danger by bringing me that information. Not a very becoming act from a loyal soldier of the Republic.”

It wasn’t a physical blow. But it felt like one.

Heat that he felt pressing in from outside his body stoked anger balled up in his chest (hold tight, don't let go) and smoldered on the back of his tongue.

Rex set his jaw. “I thought you had a right to know.”

“And who gave you the authority?” The Chancellor sneered.

Rex looked at him, faltered, then drew his shoulders back and lifted his chin.

“No one, sir. I acted on my own in what I thought were the best interests of my friend. ” He said, turning back to Anakin despite the way the Chancellor scoffed. “If it was your reaction the Council needed to sell Obi Wan’s death there was no reason to keep you in the dark after that. I didn’t want you to be hurt.”

Anakin blinked as if startled and they both turned when the Chancellor made a noise of offense.

“Anakin. Obi Wan. Has propriety in the GAR fallen so far that soldiers call their Generals by their first names now?” He asked, a slimy, condescending smile on his face. Rex was reminded of Obi Wan’s words on Mortis.

_“You don’t trust him?”_

_“Do You trust any politicians?”_

“As a soldier I would never take the liberty,” Rex answered, looking between the two men. “But as a Jedi I have been encouraged to speak to my fellow Jedi as equals whenever possible.”

“A Jedi?” The first look of genuine emotion crossed Palpatine’s face and he turned a look of surprise toward Anakin, who nodded, folding his arms in his robes.

“I told you Obi Wan took on a new Padawan, Chancellor. Rex is him.”

The white haired man turned back to him and Rex felt the Force in the room shift again. He couldn’t quite identify the feeling, but it put him on edge. Like walking into an ambush. He tried to reach toward the Voice for reassurance, but it twisted and slid away, dissolving like smoke from his grasp.

“How very interesting.” The Chancellor purred, standing and rounding his desk to look at Rex more closely. Rex kept his eyes averted and focused on not stepping back to put more space between them. When he spoke his voice was soft, probably too soft for Anakin to hear, contempt dripping from every whispered word. “I wonder if you are the reason for the recent interest the Senate has taken in the way the Kaminoans dispose of their defective units.”

Rex was a very good soldier.

But he was an even better brother.

He turned to look Palpatine in the eyes.

“My brothers are not defective.” He said, low, not quite a threat, not quite a growl, but close enough to make the point.

The Chancellor’s lip curled in a sneer.

“But clearly _you_ are.” He turned away with a flourish to face Anakin and Rex watched, somewhat bewildered, as he hunched over just slightly, moving as if it cost him to close the distance to the young Jedi. He stumbled, arm flailing to

Ward the desk for support and Anakin leapt forward to help him.

“Chancellor! Are you alright?”

Rex wanted to scream.

“I’m fine, dear boy,” the older man patted Anakin’s mech hand kindly as he helped him back into his chair. “I’m just…a bit overwhelmed, I suppose. I,” he shook his head, reaching up to squeeze Anakin’s shoulder the way Rex would if he was going to give a brother bad news, “I don’t understand why they keep hurting you this way.”

“What do you mean?”

Rex made an aborted noise, about to ask the same thing. Anakin didn’t notice, the Chancellor pretended not to.

“A fellow Jedi. Your own brother. Why would he want to harm you this way? You would think, considering how close you are, that your friend Rex would have tried to protect you from the Jedi’s deception. For your own well being if not for the good of such a delicate mission and my own safety.”

Anakin stared at the Chancellor for a moment, apparently thinking over the man’s words.

“Anakin, wait I-” Rex stopped, eyes snapping down to the Chancellor’s, finding the older man’s icy gaze slicing right through him.

A spark of that… _something_ flashed through the air.

And suddenly Rex couldn’t _breathe_.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. Rex may have been subjected to a bit more of a dressing down, at the hands of both the Chancellor and his General, he wasn’t entirely sure. When Obi Wan said he didn’t trust the Chancellor Rex thought it was because of the way the man wielded power like a cadet with their first blaster rifle.

He hadn’t thought it was because of… _this._

“Let’s go, Rex.” Anakin muttered, brushing past the Captain on his way out the door. Rex threw another salute toward the Leader of the Republic, still too shocked to do anything and his training taking over to keep him on his feet and within the bounds of protocol.

He turned to leave, feeling the Chancellor’s cold, strange eyes on his back the entire time.

“Anakin.” Rex tried to grab his arm as soon as the doors to the Chancellor’s office closed behind them. The Jedi yanked his arm out of Rex’s grip.

“Don’t, Rex. I don’t really want to talk to you right now.” Anakin snapped, glowering at the Captain before turning to stomp toward the lifts.

_“You_ don’t want to talk to _me?”_ Rex caught up, yanking his bucket off. “You just stood there while threatened me. Threatened my brothers. I thought that connection meant something to you? And on top of all that he’s-”

“He did what he had to do,” Anakin cried, earning them a few annoyed noises and scowls from Senators mingling nearby. He huffed, glaring at the floor for a moment and seemed to gather himself enough to avoid getting bodily removed from the building. Again.

“You obviously don’t understand.” He said finally, voice wavering with the threat of anger about to bubble over.

Rex took a deep breath, gritting his teeth to keep ill-advised out words behind them.

“You’re right, I don’t.” He said finally. “Because no brother of mine would spend time with a man like _him_. Or take _his_ word over someone like Obi Wan’s.”

“What are you talking about?”

Rex Fox’s concern in the back of his mind. He realized the physically threatening stance both he and Anakin had taken and his brother must have been very worried for what was about to happen to leak it so clearly into the Force around them.

He took a step back and shook his head. “If you don’t already know, I won’t be the one to tell you.” With a deep breath he pulled his bucket back on and reached for his walls the way he hadn't since Saleucami. “I think I’ll spend a little more time with the 212th, sir. You can ignore those transfer orders that would have been sent over this morning.”

Anakin blinked. “What? You’re coming back?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea now, sir.” He dipped his chin and started to turn away when Anakin reached out to grab his arm, just like Rex had done. Unlike Anakin, Rex didn’t pull away.

“Wait. Rex. Maybe…I don’t know,” he shrugged, “maybe the Chancellor overreacted. I know…I mean, I think you were trying to do the right thing. As my brother. Right?”

Rex’s visor stared back blankly at his General, still as stone and blocked off in the Force almost as well as Anakin tended to be.

Eventually, Rex’s shoulders unhitched, just a little.

“Yes, Anakin. All I’ve ever wanted is to protect you.” He said, quietly, more sincere than he’d expected.

Anakin swallowed, nodding hard so his floppy hair bobbed against his forehead and ears.

“Okay. Well then…thanks. I guess.”

Rex sighed.

“You’re welcome.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I think Fox is waiting for me.”

“Oh.” Anakin seemed to suddenly realize his hand was still on Rex’s arm. He let go and wiped his palm down the front of his tunic. “Okay. Will I, um..see you later? On the _Resolute_ I mean?”

Rex hesitated two beats longer and his shoulders finally unhitched the rest of the way.

“Yes sir.”

* * *

Cody sighed, soul weary and bone deep.

As a rule, clones weren’t an uncommon sight in the temple, but Cody didn’t make a habit of walking around the hallowed halls unless he was going someplace.

But.

He’d wanted to be close to Kenobi today. Dead or not his General wasn’t _here_ and Cody wasn't watching his back wherever he was. So that left him wandering the sprawling corridors and towering intersections of the man's home for hours instead.

He wasn’t especially surprised to find himself on Kenobi’s apartment floor, it was one of his most frequently visited spots where the Temple felt slightly less overbearing and the air smelled faintly of tea and plants.

Cody was not, however, expecting to find a young knight wrapped in yards of fabric, folded up on the floor outside Kenobi’s door.

“General Skywalker?”

Anakin looked up as if it took effort to do so, his lips twisted and brow furrowed in a frown.

“Hi Cody.” He said, subdued, and went back to staring at his boots.

Cody glanced around, was he waiting for something? The hall was empty though, and the young General reminded him enough of a lost cadet that Cody couldn’t just turn around and leave him.

“Everything alright?”

Skywalker shrugged. He scratched at a stiff, dried stain on his robe. “Fine.”

Cody sighed, sliding to the floor on the other side of the corridor to face the young man. The Temple halls were wide, the distance between them only just closed when Cody stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles. He unsealed his helmet and set it beside him.

“You want to talk about it?” 

Anakin wrinkled his nose, scowling down at the floor. Cody tipped his head back against the wall and let his eyes fall shut as he waited.

“Obi Wan is like a father to me.”

Cody heard the soft confession and opened his eyes. Anakin was still staring at the floor.

“But he does hide behind the Council a lot. And they make a lot of decisions that don’t make sense. Like this whole sithdamned war.”

Cody nodded. He couldn’t argue with that.

“And…the Chancellor is my friend. He’s always been there for me. But Rex doesn’t like him.”

Cody snorted. Anakin’s eyes whipped up to him.

“What?”

Cody shook his head. “Why does that bother you?”

Anakin’s eyes shifted away. “I don’t know. I guess I just...I don’t know who to trust.”

“Doesn’t the Force tell you?”

That got a small smile out of Anakin and Cody couldn’t help but feel a little proud. “Look I know that Rex can have full blown conversations with the Force but thats not how it works for me.” He sobered, sighing deeply and using his mech hand to gouge a small dent in the stone floor.

“Rex said if I were really his brother I wouldn't spend time with a man like the Chancellor and I don't-” He looked up sharply again, eyes slightly wide as he stared over at Cody’s face. He wore an expression of respectful focus, slightly dispassionate but attentive, like during a mission debrief.

But Anakin had felt otherwise.

“You hate him.” It was a statement instead of a question, but surprised, like he couldn’t quite believe it.

“I didn’t say anything sir.”

“You didn’t have to. Why? I don’t understand why everyone…” he huffed, curling in on himself and hunching down, frowning again. “All he wants is whats best for the Republic. Its not an easy position."

Cody wondered if he knew how much the words he said sounded as if they'd been planted in his mouth by someone else.

He took a deep breath.

“Look, I don’t know the Chancellor like you do. But, at the end if the day? My brothers and I are Republic property. And at every turn when the possibility of scaling back the war is proposed, changes that would save the lives of clones and Jedi alike, the Chancellor has been part of the reason they didn’t happen.”

“Well its not like he's happy about it. Anyway those decisions come from the Senate, not...

“And the Chancellor is the head of the Senate.” Cody cut across Anakin’s argument, gaze of stone weighing heavy on the younger man. Anakin looked startled again, like Cody was saying something he'd never thought of. “He wields extraordinary power. I'm not saying he's wrong. Or that he’s doing a bad job. It’s just...you sometimes say the Jedi wont go far enough to win this war and put an end to all the violence. In my experience, they're not the only ones.”

Anakin stared at him for a while before dropping his eyes back to the floor. He sighed.

“I wish Obi Wan were here.”

Cody nodded, knocking the toe of his boot against Anakin’s.

“Me too, kid.”

* * *

Rex squeezed his eyes shut. He wished he could go back.

Fifteen minutes. To when he’d first seen Obi Wan’s face (his face, not Hardeen’s, ridiculous and clean shaven as it was) and he’d been _so happy_ to see him.

Four hours. To when he’d first gotten word from Skywalker that they’d rescued the Chancellor and he and Obi Wan were safe and he’d been grinning so hard Cody had sent him off the bridge before he ‘scared the shinies’.

Three weeks. To the last time he saw his Master before this whole fiasco started and he’d felt content and secure and happy for the first time in so long because Obi Wan was _looking_ at him again. And even if Rex wanted to go back to the 501st that was okay because Obi Wan _wanted_ him anyway.

Just back. Before this moment.

Before he’d sat down with Obi Wan in his Temple apartment with a mug of his master’s special tea in each of their hands. Before he’d started to tell him about the holodisk and Anakin and _I think the Chancellor is a Sith._

Before his Master, the man he respected most in the universe, looked him in the eye and told him he didn’t believe a word he said. 

"I know what I felt. I felt it before. With Ventress. And on Mortis. The Chancellor is _Dark_."

Obi Wan stared down into his mug. His mind felt fuzzy and far away. Rex’s presence was a muted buzz on the other side of the table.

He couldn’t look at him.

It was too horrifying. Yoda, Mace, Obi wan, Anakin. They'd all spoken with the Chancellor. Attended ceremonies with him. Eaten with him.

Obi wan had allowed Anakin to befriend him and spend time with him. For _years_.

It just...couldn’t be.

"I'm sorry Rex. You're wrong."

The muscle in Rex's jaw jumped under his skin.

He opened his eyes. 

“I’m not." His voice was nearly a whisper, dragging across the sharp edges of hurt and dismay at such an easy dismissal. "I'll prove it myself if I have to."

"Rex, don’t." Obi wan looked up sharply, arm outstretched toward Rex’s bracer. “Its too dangerous."

He didn’t recognize what a mistake he'd made. What it had cost Rex to reach out for help and guidance from his Master for the first time.

How much it hurt to have Obi Wan slap his hand away.

The Captain stood, moving out of his reach.

"General. I have sworn an oath to the Republic, _the Republic,_ not the Chancellor. To protect it, no matter the cost. I _will_ live up to that oath." His heels clicked when he snapped out his salute, eyes averted, back straight. Obi wan reeled back as if struck.

Instinctivly, he reached out with his mind and realized, with growing horror, Rex's side of the bond was closed off. Not just shut, a temporary measure for privacy. Blocked. Not quite cut but nearly. Obi Wan had the sudden urge to cry.

"Rex don’t do this.”

"Am I dismissed, sir?"

"Rex, please. I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have…let’s just talk about this.”

“I dont’ think there’s anything else to say, sir.” Rex held his salute, staring at the wall over Obi Wan’s head. “Am I dismissed?”

After several tense seconds of silence, Obi wan relented.

"Yes. If thats what you want. You are dismissed."

The words were barely out of his mouth and Rex was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI - I'm getting a puppy tomorrow so there may be a slight delay in updates!


	9. The Zygerria Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the Feels train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chap is freaking long. Are they all this long?

Fox slid a pair of drinks across his desk. Cody took his and knocked it back immediately, apparently off duty for the rest of the rotation.

"That's not bad." Cody sighed in appreciation. “You boys in red always have the best stuff.” 

“The one perk of this lousy post,” Fox said, refilling his glass. “Alcohol made from things that are actually _meant_ to be made into alcohol. Rex?” 

Rex looked up but shook his head at Fox’s proffered refill. Fox shrugged, topping off his own glass before settling back behind his desk. Cody narrowed his eyes at his little brother. He knew Rex had been with Kenobi before arriving at Fox’s office and had clocked the way Rex kept frowning when he wasn't focused on trying not to.

"Alright. You gonna tell us what this is all about, blondie?" 

They were all friendly enough, it wouldn’t have been unusual for them to be in Fox's office sharing a drink under any circumstances. 

But something told him these weren’t just any circumstances. 

After the way Anakin had reacted, and then Obi Wan, Rex thought his worry over his brother's reactions were well founded. 

Cody was Regs and Republic Red through and through. And probably the only person in the galaxy that was more loyal to Kenobi than he was. But Cody’s loyalty to Rex himself was also unrivaled.

Either way, this would be difficult for Cody. 

And Fox. Fox, who talked about treason like it was the weather on Zeltros. 

Fox would probably not even be surprised. 

Rex sighed and sat forward to put his empty glass on the edge of the desk. 

“You know how the Jedi think the Separatist forces are being led by a Sith Lord?” 

Both nodded. Fox tilted his head, blandly curious. Cody’s fingers tightened on his glass. 

“I…think I might know who it is.”

The name felt strange on his lips, tasted like treason and death and Rex finished off his drink in an attempt to rid himself of the taste.

Unlike when he felt anger from Obi Wan, the wave of heat through an open door on a desert campaign, his brother’s anger always felt cold. Icy like the buffeting winds of Hoth or marching through a river during a winter night cycle. 

Rex shivered. 

Fox tipped his head back and laughed. 

Honest to Stars _laughed_. 

Cody and Rex turned toward him and Fox got up, eyes flashing and far away, and walked across the room to a gaudy post-High Era painting that must have predated Fox in the office. He pushed the painting aside, revealing a hidden safe and unlocked it to pull out an unlabeled glass bottle. It was smaller than the one he’d produced for Cody and Rex, and had blue liquid inside instead of reddish brown. The other two men watched silently as he took off the cap, tossed it carelessly to the floor, and wandered over to the window and started drinking long swallows directly from the bottle. 

After a minute where the silence seemed to hang heavy and thick, Cody turned to Rex.

“What did Kenobi say?” 

He watched his younger brother’s far off look morph into a frown. 

“You did tell him?” He continued when Rex refused to answer, staring out the window past Fox. “I thought things were better between you two.” 

“They were.” Rex snapped, voice quiet. He wasn’t expecting the way his throat went tight and painful at the thought of the Jedi’s dismissal. “He didn’t believe me.” 

Cody’s eyebrows furrowed. “That doesn’t sound like him. Did he say why?” 

Rex shrugged, turning to help himself to another pour of the bottle still sitting on Fox’s desk. 

“Just said I was wrong. But I’m not.” His hands went still, one on his glass, the other on the bottle, not yet moving, staring hard into middle distance. “I know I’m not.” 

The strong squeeze of a brother’s hand on his neck had Rex turning toward Cody. 

“Do you believe me?” 

Cody thought of how often orders came down from GAR headquarters that didn’t make sense. Battle plans and strategies that ended with Republic troops entrenched in long sieges and bloody massacres instead of the quick in and out campaigns they’d been promised. Thought of how often intel ended up wrong or outdated or mysteriously in enemy hands. 

Remembered the shock he’d felt the first time Kenobi told him the Jedi had no idea the Clone army had been ordered at all. 

He sighed. 

“It makes as much sense as anything else. And I trust you.” 

Rex slumped into Cody’s space, too relieved to respond and Cody tugged on his neck, pulling him so their foreheads rested together, settling their nerves. Cody had a feeling like the moment before jumping out of a LAAT/i into an active war zone. 

He worried things were going to get messier before they sorted themselves out. 

“So what do we do?” Rex asked, quiet, breath coming in short puffs that smelled of the alcohol they’d all been drinking. 

Fox was the one that answered. 

“We take him down.” 

Rex knew how much Fox had drank, more than he and Cody combined, and that wasn’t even counting whatever it was he’d pulled out of his safe. 

The fact that the older Commander sounded dead sober and steady as stone put a lump in Rex’s stomach. 

“How?” 

“Give me five minutes and two DC-15s.” 

“Fox.” 

“Don’t ‘Fox’ me, Cody.” He turned around, eyes boring into Cody’s like a spotlight cutting through darkness. “Our brothers have been dying. _For years_ . And there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t need to talk some kid off the ledge because of something some civilian or fucking entitled Natborn officer said or did or threatened or ordered one of them to do. If Rex is right and the Chancellor has been behind this from the beginning then I’m going to put a bolt through his brain and fillet him _open wide_ . Do not ‘ _Fox’_ me.” Fox was still on the other side of the room, but even with a room between them it was obvious how hard he was trying not to shake. Easy to see how badly he was failing. 

His eyes snapped to Rex’s, teeth bared and _cold cold cold_. Rex shivered again. 

“What about the memory lapses?” Cody asked, drawing Fox’s eyes back to him. “He must be doing something, have some control over you. Maybe over all of us.” 

Rex tapped his index finger against the rim of his still empty glass. “Maybe some kind of Sith trick. Whatever it is, we can’t risk confronting him until we know what’s going on.” 

“And we’ll need proof.” Cody sat back, stroking his chin in a way that made Rex’s chest ache. “I believe you Rex, but not everyone will. Not without something concrete to back it up.” 

Rex dropped his eyes to the floor and nodded. He didn’t reach for the space marked _Kenobi_ in his mind. Tried not to think of how he ached to do so.

“Fine. We’ll figure out what Palpatine’s power over us is, and we’ll compile some proof. But when we have I-”

“Yeah Fox,” Cody interrupted with a sharp grin. “You get to draw first blood.” 

  
  


* * *

The three Commanders brainstormed for a while on what actions to take but hadn’t come up with any concrete plans that were unlikely to result in the deaths of at least some, if not all the men, when Rex and Cody received a comm requesting they return to their ships. 

The 212th and the 501st were leaving from separate docks so Cody and Rex parted outside the Guard headquarters with tapped bracer’s and quiet commands of _‘k’oyacyi’_. 

Rex was lost in thought as he wove along the short distance between CGHQ and the main GAR barracks on Coruscant. The six or seven block radius was always crammed with the densest population of troopers, aside from around the senate building or 79s, and the smell of fried foods coming from the food carts of opportunistic venders filled the air. 

Rex didn’t realize he’d gained a shadow until he heard a throat clear beside and half a step behind him.

“Captain Rex?” 

Rex paused and the young man, a kid barel filling out his armor with red paint on his shoulder guards stopped beside him. 

“Yes?” 

“Sir.” The young man snapped to attention and saluted. Rex smiled in his bucket. 

“At ease kid.” 

“Thank you sir,” he shifted on his feet. “You were on your way somewhere. I could…I could walk with you? Sir?” 

Rex tilted his head. “I don’t need an escort.” 

“Yes. Yes, of course sir I know. I just…um…thought maybe. We could talk? Sir?” 

Rex smiled at his nerves and tried to soften his posture so that the kid would be less tense. It didn’t seem to help much. _Still tank wet,_ he thought with a small smile. It was hard to believe he’d ever been that young.

“Alright, kid. I’m headed off-world now but you can walk me to the transport.” 

“Yes sir. Thank you sir.”

They set off and Rex waited a moment for his young companion to start saying whatever he wanted to say. When he kept quiet Rex prompted him. 

“You new to the Guard?” 

“Yes sir. My first posting. I arrived three weeks ago.” 

“Well, CG will be the easiest and hardest posting you’ll ever have. But never take for granted the ready availability of fried Nuna bites.” He tilted his bucket toward the nearest food stall. 

The kid’s helmet twitched between the food vendor and Rex a couple times, a bit startled by the friendly tone before his shoulders finally unhitched. His voice was smiling when he responded with yet another, “Yes sir.”

Rex nodded at him and tucked his hands behind his back. “So did you have a question about anything specific?” 

"Yes.” The shoulders went tense again. “I just. Well, I’d heard some rumors. About you. And I... well I know I shouldn’t put stock in rumors it's just that I...well I was wondering. And you don’t have to answer. I just thought I'd ask about it. If...that's okay?"

"If this is about that message in the bathroom at 79s I told Fives if he didn’t get rid of it I was gonna make him tattoo it on his face." Rex grumbled, already reaching for his comm. 

"No! No sir it's nothing like that." The kid yelped, simultaneously reaching to stop Rex's movements and also trying to step back and put space between them. Rex raised an eyebrow. It had been a while since he'd been around someone as jittery as this kid was, like he was balancing on the razor's edge of a crisis. 

Rex stopped walking, within sight of his transport to the Resolute, he saw a few troopers milling around outside so decided he had a few minutes before they were set to leave. He pulled off his bucket. 

“What's your name, kid?"

After a moment's hesitation the young man reached up to remove his helmet as well, propping it on his hip. “Fuzzy, sir."

Rex's lips quirked, noting the tiny curls, tighter than most trooper’s hair, that sat close to his head, frizzy and dark. "Well Trooper Fuzzy, what exactly was it you heard about me?"

The kid went still, eyes respectfully averted over Rex’s shoulder, hips canted slightly away as if to make a speedy retreat. 

"I heard...I heard you were a Jedi."

Rex winced and resisted the urge to shrug.

"I wouldn’t say it that way, exactly." He sighed. "But I have been training with them lately."

Fuzzy's free hand was clenching and unclenching by his side as he shifted back and forth in his feet. In the Force he was the sound of wind howling behind layers of ice.

"So," Fuzzy's eyes darted to Rex's and then away again. He cleared his throat. "You hear it too?" 

Rex's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Fuzzy continued in a near whisper, hugging his bucket tighter to his side. "The Voice? You...you can hear it too?"

Rex blinked, momentarily dumbstruck. His hesitation was enough to send Fuzzy, a trooper already on the edge, into a backpedaling spiral. 

His eyes went Cadet-wide and his body made good on the threat to start backing away. 

"I mean...nothing. Nevermind. Sorry to have bothered you. I didn't-" he shook his head and turned as if to leave. Rex's hand shot out to grab Fuzzy’s elbow and dragged him to the only cover nearby, the shadow of a huge carved statue of the Republic cog. 

"You have the Voice?"

Instinctively Rex reached out with the Force and nudged up against Fuzzy's presence, but he remained quiet and somewhat distant, though that warm kindling of Brotherhood he recognized burned through.

Fuzzy's hand came up to grip Rex's opposite forearm. He swallowed hard and managed a small smile. 

"I- I thought I was the only one." His eyes were shiny, relieved to the point of giddy. "I thought I was alone. When I heard about a clone being trained as a Jedi I just...I had to know."

Rex shook his head. A part of him had always thought he and Keeli were the only ones. Not that had the Force, but that had managed to hide it long enough to make it off Kamino.

"You're not alone vod'ika."

Fuzzy nodded, fingers digging into the gap between Rex's armor plates. 

"But how? The Jedi…The Kaminii if they found out... They didn't care?" Fuzzy seemed wary and hopeful at the idea, but Rex could feel the sharp sting of fear he hid behind his walls, leaking out through cracks he was probably not aware of. The Kaminoans had apparently let the shielding instruction slip some since Rex had graduated.

“Oh they care, I'm sure, but things are changing.” He thought of that first meeting with the Council. The way Shaak had glowered at the idea of decommissioning, the way Master Fisto’s lekku had twitched in agitation. “The Jedi want to change them.”

"And is it true you have a lightsaber?" Fuzzy blurted out suddenly, eyes wide and curious even as he flushed a little at his exuberance. Rex smiled and reached for the small of his back, detaching his weapon and expanding the barrel to it’s full length. He held it out.

“May I?” Fuzzy asked, once he’d given the hilt a once over and located the activation switch. His gaze went to the Jaig eyes set inside the Jedi emblem, and then the ones painted on Rex’s helmet. 

“Sure.” 

Immediately the saber hummed to life, a hot burst of light between them.

Rex wondered, as he watched Fuzzy star in awe at the bright blue blade, if this kid would ever have the chance to go on a Gathering of his own. To learn the calm of meditation and the deep satisfaction of sinking into the Force the way Rex had. 

Or would he trade the threat of decommissioning for the threat of dying faceless and forgotten on some foreign battlefield.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Fuzzy deactivated the lightsaber and smiled at him again. 

"What?"

“It’s nothing. Just…the lightsaber, its...happy? I think it likes you." He said, returning the weapon to Rex's hand. 

Rex felt the crystal inside vibrate and reach for him, wrap around him, warm and light. He nodded. 

“Yeah. I guess it does.”

"Well...thank you. Sir."

Rex looked up, puzzled. "For what?"

Fuzzy shrugged slightly and shook his head, as if Rex had missed the point of a lecture he hadn’t said out loud. 

"For giving us clones something to look forward to. For making it possible to have more."

Rex returned his lightsaber to its spot at the small of his backplate, using the movement as an excuse to avert his gaze. 

"I haven’t really done anything."

Fuzzy paused a moment then quietly, “You have for me."

There was a strange, thick quality to Fuzzy's voice and Rex looked up to find the trooper had replaced his bucked and was giving him a salute so crisp it snapped around the edges. 

Rex straightened and returned it. 

"Good luck on your next mission, sir. Maybe I'll see you around next time you're in the Core." Fuzzy offered, salute held firm. 

Rex nodded as he found his voice. 

"I'd like that."

* * *

The ship was quiet after the brief skirmish on Kiros.

The city hadn’t felt like a warzone, full of refugees and frightened civilians. The entire planet had been _culled_. Interrupted meals laid abandoned on tables and toys lay discarded on the street. 

But what had struck Rex most was all the color. Murals on every wall, mosaics in every courtyard. Tapestries and pottery and paintings covered every open space. Even their furniture was beautiful, made from a single plant, grown and tended from the ground until it reached the size and shape needed.

It was the most beautiful place Rex had ever seen. And the most desolate.

After the adrenalin of defusing bombs had worn off and Cody had argued Obi Wan into the medbay, there had been the meeting with the Jedi council and the orders to head to Zygerria with their rather hastily put together undercover identities. 

Rex had noticed Ahsoka had seemed quiet, barely speaking throughout unless spoken to. She only put up a token argument at her role in the undercover op before shrugging and acquiescing to her Master’s plan.

At the first opportunity, Rex went looking for her. 

And the fact that her room was in the opposite direction Kenobi was heading in didn’t hurt.

_“Who is mfft.”_

Rex tilted his head at the muffled voice coming through the cabin door. 

“Ahsoka?”

_“Rex?”_ There was an odd strained quality to her voice, but he thought he sensed relief from the room. _“Com’nn. I need help!”_

Rex keyed in his override and burst into the small room, worst case scenarios running through his head and his hand on his blaster. 

All of that went out the porthole when he saw Ahsoka standing in the middle of her quarters, mostly dressed in her slave outfit and half tangled in her extravagant headpiece.

“What have you gotten yourself into here, Commander?” Rex asked around a poorly hidden laugh. 

“Less laughing, more helping.” 

Rex was a good soldier, he stepped across the room and did his duty to help untangle the young woman. He worked in silence, expecting Ahsoka to fill it as usual, instead she remained quiet, and the air in the room grew heavy. 

“You okay, kid?” He asked quietly, pulling the tangled jewels loose from the clasp of her blue outfit where it hooked around her neck. 

Ahsoka shrugged. “Sure.” 

Rex nudged her in the Force and Ahsoka rolled her eyes but smiled. 

“You’re being a Mother Nuna, Rexter.” 

“You’d think you’d be used to it by now.” 

Ahsoka sighed, turning her head to look in the mirror as Rex carefully arranged the jewels that hung between her montrals and over her nose. 

“I was just...thinking. About my people.” 

“Mhm.” Rex prompted. Taking Ahoska’s headtail brush from her nightstand and pushing her to sit in the chair facing the mirror. She’d mentioned once, quietly while they sat together in the medbay, that Togrutan parents bonded with their children by brushing their headtails regularly, removing dead skin and buffing them until they shined. Whenever Rex noticed hers were looking dull, and he had a free moment, he took the opportunity to brush them for her. It always made the tension flow out of her limbs faster than anything else he’d tried.

“Master Plo found me when I was a youngling. Barely three standard.” Ahsoka continued, pulling one foot up onto her seat and rested her chin on her knee. “I just keep thinking if he hadn’t...if I hadn’t been born with the Force...I might have been down there when the Separatists came. I might be in a slave market right now.” 

Rex listened quietly, sweeping the brush in long strokes from tops to tips of her lekku until her natural oils made the white and blue stripes shine. She leaned back into the touch. 

“I guess I feel guilty.” She admitted quietly.

“About what?” 

“That I was born different. That that made me…I don’t know. Good enough to be saved? I keep thinking if I didn’t have it would that mean I wasn’t special enough to be worthwhile?” 

Rex frowned. He set aside the brush and resettled the parts of the headpiece he’d dislodged. 

“Why would you think that?” 

She shrugged. “I don’t know.” 

With a sigh, Rex moved around to crouch in front of the chair and looked up at her. Ahsoka had one lip pulled in between her teeth, fangs poking out either corner of her mouth. 

“I’m the one that has the Force, but all my brothers are all special. More special than me, I think.” 

Ahsoka raised a playful eyebrow. “Have you met you, Rex? Somehow I doubt that.” 

“Fives can imitate the voice of every commander in the GAR.” 

Ahsoka smiled, “You all have the same voice, Rex.” 

Rex raised an eyebrow. “Spoken like a natborn, kid. Trust me. It’s uncanny.” 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes but nodded. “Alright.” 

“And Echo has an eidetic memory.” 

“Really?” 

“How do you think he remembers everything in all those reg manuals?” 

Ahsoka folder her hands on her knee to rest her chin on top of them. “Don’t all clones not have that then? Seems pretty useful.” 

“Long necks aren’t that good.” Rex snorted.

Ahsoka tilted her head in acquiescence. She smiled playfully. “Who else?” 

Rex settled back on his bottom and locked his arms around his knees to lean against the mirror.

“You know how Hardcase always says the mix was off in his tube and that’s why he’s so hyperactive?” 

“Yeah.”

“Well when something finally captures his focus he is _unstoppable._ He has the highest marksman scores of his year. And he’s the fastest kit up in our Battalion.” 

“How can you know that?” 

“We hold competitions.” Rex shrugged. “Hardcase can wake up from a dead sleep and be kitted up in his shell with his Z6 assembled before Tup has rolled out of his bunk.”

Ahsoka laughed and the air in the room glimmered with it and Rex's delight at the sound. 

"There's someone else."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

Rex stood, moving back behind her so she had to look in the mirror to see him. 

"There's this feisty young Togruta. Who never backs down from a fight," Ahsoka dipped her chin, her Force presence rolling with embarrassment. “And she has this beautiful, generous, enormous...head."

"Hey!"

"I mean 'heart'." He smiled at her in the mirror, picking up her cloak from the bunk and settling it around her bare shoulders. Ahsoka smiled as she reached up to put her hands over his. “And she sees value in every one of her men, sees their uniqueness and celebrates it with them. That is special about you, Ahsoka. And it has nothing to do with the Force."

Ahsoka swallowed, eyes slightly misty. She squeezed Rex’s fingers. 

“Thank you, Rex.” 

Rex wrapped his presence around hers for a moment, something like a hug that he’d felt from her and Obi Wan on occasion in the past. 

He gave her fingers one last squeeze and then pulled her out of the chair. 

“Now, let’s go find your people and bring them home.” 

* * *

Obi Wan kept his face turned toward his bowl of cold, foul smelling mush. Beside him Rex was breathing deliberate and slow, eyes closed, hands curled into fists as they helped balance a bowl on his knees. Using the action of taking small bites to cover his mouth moving he asked, “Are you alright?” 

Rex’s breathing pattern stuttered slightly but otherwise he didn’t move. All around them slaves were gathered in small groups, the large open room was filled with the quiet sounds of eating, the occasional metal bowl being set against the floor or soft grunts and moans from those that were too injured to stifle themselves. 

“Fine.” He rasped, after a moment. 

Kenobi didn’t respond until the sour faced Zygerrian patrolling their mealtime had passed far enough away he wouldn’t hear him speak again. 

“You haven’t touched your food.” 

Rex shifted beside him and Obi Wan looked over to see he’d tipped his head forward and was scowling down at his bowl. 

“I know it’s not very appetizing,” he glanced at a couple Zygerrian guards laughing near the doors and the shaking Togruta woman that had spatters of mush on her face and headtails. He forced himself to look away. “But you need whatever calories they will give us to keep your strength.” 

Rex’s scowl deepened. “I’m not sure it would do me any good.” His eyes flicked over to Obi Wan. “I’m...not sure I could keep it down.” 

Obi Wan’s brows knitted. His bond with Rex was still blocked. Out of respect for Rex’s feelings he had not pushed him on it, preferring to try not to mess things up further by asking for things Rex was not yet ready to restore to him. 

But that meant he had no real idea of his Padawan’s current mental state. The situation on Zygerria was difficult for anyone, obviously, but for a Force user, well, even Kenobi could feel his control wavering. He’d been relying on meditation over sleep the past few nights in an attempt to keep his mind in order. 

And Rex was far more inexperienced in such control than he was. 

“Is it the Togruta?” 

Rex grimaced. “No. Not...exactly.” He shifted, as if uncomfortable. Truth be told Rex knew his mind was in a bit of a state. The fear and despair gushing out of the Togruta soaked the air and the walls and the bunks. The hate and revulsion of the Zygerrians was like a relentless wave against his mind. And they’d taken his gloves when they took the useful bits of his Zygerrian armor. 

Between that and the electric shocks that the guards seemed to have timed perfectly to keep him from stringing together any kind of coherent thoughts or ability to find stability in the Force well...

Suffice to say Rex was struggling to keep his walls and doors in any kind of order. He’d reverted to blunt force shielding out of pure necessity to keep himself sane. 

Even so he was still reeling from the Force echo of the last person to use the bowl balanced on his knees. 

A girl, barely a teen, small and terrified. She’d been alone, begging her gods for death. 

Rex’s hands were still shaking. 

“I could help. If,” Obi Wan cleared his throat, “if you’d like.” 

Rex bit his lip. He forced his hands to open and breathed through the pain that flared up behind his eyes when he picked up the bowl again. He made himself to swallow the mush past nausea. A cold sweat that break out across his skin, the words of a Bothan prayer echoed soft and desperate in his head. 

His head which was currently a mess, and he wasn’t sure he could bear to let Kenobi see it. Wasn’t sure what his Master’s reaction might be.

“Maybe later.” 

Kenobi nodded and they completed the rest of their meal in silence. 

Later Rex tossed and turned for hours on his bunk before he opened his eyes and looked across the small walkway that separated his bunk from Kenobi’s. 

His head was swimming, his stomach cramping and rolling in turn and he was so karking exhausted he could barely see straight. How long had they been here? How many people had he watched weep and cry out for mercy in his mind’s eye when the Guard’s abuse caused him to stumble and flail blindly for something to break his fall. 

How many times had Obi Wan been the one to catch him. And even through the electric shocks that inevitably followed Rex had felt the pain and guilt on his clothes, old and stale, worn into the fibers from years of wear and that puzzled him even as he writhed and coughed up bile on the ground. 

With a little shake he gathered his scattered thoughts back to the present.

Hurt feelings had no place in a survival scenario. 

And Kenobi had offered to help. But just as he was about to turn over and open his mouth, he remembered the cold eyes and harsh dismissal over tea in the temple and his jaw clicked shut again. 

But his intention at least must have leaked out of him because Obi Wan suddenly turned over to look at him.

Somehow Rex wasn’t surprised he hadn’t been sleeping. 

“Rex?” Obi Wan sat up and Rex watched him, squinting through another wave of pain that he couldn’t even pinpoint the origins of anymore.

“Shall I?” He whispered, gesturing vaguely to Rex’s head and body. 

Rex bit his lip but gave a tiny nod. 

Seeing the guards were between rounds, Obi Wan cautiously slid out of his bunk and over into Rex’s, who had sat up to make room for him.

“Is it your head?” 

Rex nodded slightly. “The nausea is worse, though,” he admitted after only a moment.

Obi Wan was about to ask about injuries he hadn’t noticed when he realized Rex’s hands were balled up in fists again. 

“They took your gloves.” 

Rex’s smile was a little rueful when he shrugged. “I was doing okay, Quinlan’s training came in handy but, my head’s a bit of a mess right now.” He looked away, trailing off. Shielding for psychometry, Rex had found, was much more delicate than regular shielding, even the more complex sort Obi Wan had trained him to do. Unfortunately between physical exhaustion and the constant press of a hundred distressed minds, he was finding the focus he needed for it to be elusive. 

“It’s alright. This place is designed to break us in every way. You’re doing very well. I’ll help where I can.” 

Rex nodded and closed his eyes, falling into a light mediation alongside Obi Wan. The Jedi nudged up against the block where his bond was with his Padawan and after only a moment’s hesitation Rex broke it down and their bond was restored to full strength. It felt a little like breathing deeply after holding your breath for just a touch over too long and Obi Wan had to restrain himself from rushing headlong into Rex’s mind. Instead, he held back, lingering around the edges, letting Rex come to him, direct him where he ought to go. 

Rex wasn’t lying, it turned out, when he said things were a bit of a mess. 

Toward the surface, of course there was anger and disgust, at the Zygerrians, the entire situation. Beyond that he felt frustration and fear, tightly wound balls of fury and shadows of doubt. As Rex lead him toward the angry inflammation of the memories of a dozen people’s emotions swirling like unruly waves in his mind, Obi Wan felt the sensation of sudden hurt and confusion before Rex pushed it _away away behind, don’t look._

Obi Wan didn’t pry. Instead he focused on working with Rex on the Psychometric echos that were running rampant through his mind, Obi Wan’s own stomach was already clenching painfully just from the feedback. 

_*I’m sorry.*_ He pressed toward Rex, deciding to pass the time as they worked and take advantage of the ability to talk without fear of being caught for a moment. 

_*What?*_ Rex seemed distracted. 

_*About what I said. About...not believing you.*_

Unease. Wary attentiveness. Frustration and crackling fire. 

_*I know what I felt.*_

_*I know you do.*_ Obi Wan agreed immediately. _*I just...didn’t want to believe it. The idea that we...that_ **_I_ ** _had been so blind. All these years. I just…it was difficult to accept.*_

Sunrise over a canyon. Fragile hope. 

_*I can understand that.*_

_*But it was still wrong of me. To dismiss you so quickly. It was unbecoming of a Jedi Master.*_

A sigh and summer rain. Acceptance.

_*I suppose I should be glad you didn’t just turn me in for treason.*_

Obi Wan delighted to feel the press of pleasure and teasing from his Padawan and couldn’t help the glow of joy that blossomed in his chest in response. 

Fear and alarm suddenly flooded the air nearby and both Rex and Obi Wan’s eyes popped open to scan their surroundings. 

“The guards.” Rex whispered and Obi Wan scrambled back to his own bunk, settling just as a guard rounded the corner, peering down their row with a deep frown and beady eyes before moving on in his inspection. 

Obi Wan’s heart took a few moments to calm down, the older Togruta man the guards had taken to torturing on his behalf was finally asleep nearby and he couldn't bear the idea of him being awakened with an electric shock because Obi Wan had been caught where he shouldn’t be. 

He glanced over and saw Rex stretched out on his bed. 

_*Feeling better?*_

_*Yes.*_ Rex answered, pushing gratitude toward him. 

_*Good.*_ Obi Wan respectfully started to withdraw his mind, restoring the distance between them without Rex needing to ask. Rex’s presence reached out to stop him, a warm tug of familiarity and warmth. 

_*Wait.*_ Hesitation and childlike optimism. _*Don’t…I’m not quite ready to sleep. You?*_

_*Not sure I could if I wanted to just yet.*_

_*We could talk.*_ Amusement. * _Well, more or less.*_

_*About what?*_

_*How are you feeling? Any injuries I should know about?*_

_*I’m sure I’m fine. Nothing worth discussing I assure you.*_

Doubt and exasperation swirled over from Rex’s side of the bond and Obi Wan pushed back a ripple of reassurance and something like a dismissive wave. He probably wouldn’t have gotten away with it, but Rex’s exhaustion was already tugging him toward sleep and if Obi Wan helped him along with a gentle push in the right direction he was sure the man wouldn’t fault him for it.

* * *

  
The next morning brought nothing to look forward to except another day of brutal abuse at the hand of the Zygerrians. 

They shoveled hot coals for hours on end, the air sour of sweat and fear. Obi Wan felt blisters form and break open on his palms. Throughout he tried not to let his guilt reach his Padawan every time a Togrutan was punished for one of the Jedi’s perceived slights. 

The warmth and reassurance Rex pushed periodically across the bond told him he was being about as successful as Rex was at keeping his nausea to himself every time he readjusted his grip on his shovel.

_*Save your strength, Rex. Don’t worry about me.*_

_*Who’s worrying?*_

It was almost a relief when late that evening just before they were given their one meal of sour mush, the Zygerrians separated he and Rex from the rest of the slaves and put them in binders. 

“Move it, skugg.” A guard shoved him roughly and Obi wan fought to keep his feet. Rex barely restrained himself from baring his teeth beside him. He apparently still sent the guard a dirty look and received a shock to his collar for the insolence. 

The next thing he knew his face was pressed into the duraplate floor, the cold metal was a sharp contrast to the lines of fire still trialing up and down his spine, squeezing his lungs and causing his arms and legs to twitch uncontrollably. He nudged against Obi wan’s mind, Calm to replace the tightly wound frenetic worry leaking out of the Jedi, and gasped for breath as he was hauled back to his feet. 

It was temperature-controlled here, he noted absently, frowning in concentration to make his feet work. The air was cool and clean, the only evidence of the refinery several floors below was the faint scent of sulfur in the air. 

Obi Wan and Rex both grunted when they were pushed to their knees in the Overseer’s office. 

When a hologram of Dooku appeared, Rex wished he could say he was surprised. The Sith seemed to have a particularly sharp chip on his shoulder when it came to Obi Wan. 

Rex was glad he’d spent the time while his Master engaged in banter and witty repartee surveying the room and the armaments on the guards. He was ready when Skywalker arrived with the Wolfpack and all hell broke loose. 

He wasn’t quite as ready when things went still again.

“Master Kenobi. You are a Jedi, you cannot kill an unarmed man.” The overseer sneered. Obi Wan’s lightsaber twitched near his throat, muscles jumping with adrenaline-fueled exhaustion, the charred skin at his neck throbbing painfully. The weight of despair from the Togruta continued to pull against his mind, old scars scraped raw again by their constant fear and resentment.

Over comms he could hear the chatter of Anakin and Ahsoka trying to save the Colonists and shut down the anti-aircraft canons. Behind him he could hear Rex fighting the guards’s reinforcements. 

Anakin, who’d been born a slave, and then been forced to leave his mother behind as property while he gained his freedom. 

Ahsoka, who would live with the image of her people, so many ways a reflection of herself, scarred and frightened and broken and know how close she’d come to being one of them. 

And Rex. His Padawan. 

_Aren’t we just your little slave army? Bought and paid for by the Republic. Made to die so that others might live._

A careful prod over their bond had Obi Wan turning to meet Rex’s eyes. His jaw was clenched, fingers wrapped tight around a shock staff, and eyes terrifyingly blank.

Not a Jedi. 

A Commander. 

A soldier awaiting orders, ready to do whatever was necessary. Whatever his General might ask of him. 

Obi Wan turned back to the Slave overseer and steadied the hand holding his lightsaber. 

“I am not the Jedi you think I am.” 

* * *

"He's alright." 

Cody looked up at the voice to find Scratch coming to stand beside him, looking 'end of a 16-hour shift' haggard. 

"Good." Cody nodded and turned back to his brother, sitting on the edge of a medbunk on the other side of the room. "Where's the General?" 

Scratch huffed. "Slipped out while my back was turned. Di'kutla Jetii." 

Cody nodded again. "Need me to hunt him down?" 

This time the sound the medic made was less annoyance and more exhausted surrender. "I scanned him well enough to know he's not going to do any permanent damage to himself." He turned to rummage through a pie of pads on a nearby table. "I think in this case the worst wounds they got are ones I can't heal with bacta."

Cody took a deep breath through the tight band of worry around his chest and turned back to where Rex had been sitting, he frowned.

"Where's Rex?"

Scratch turned around and swore, seeing the injured man was nowhere to be found.

"I turned around for one second!" 

* * *

Obi Wan took a deep breath and placed his lightsaber in the small box he kept on his nightstand when he felt confident he wouldn’t need it for a few hours. 

He’d taken many lives with it over the course of their time together, but never the way he had on Kadavo. 

Never an unarmed non-combatant, though Obi Wan was aware that didn’t mean he was innocent. 

How many Togrutans had he killed just to prove a point? How many people had suffered and died at his hand while he sat in his hover chair and called himself _unarmed_. 

No. Obi Wan didn’t regret his action. Could not find it in himself to feel guilty. 

Perhaps the choice isn’t the one other Jedi would have made. Maybe it wasn’t even the one he would have made, under other circumstances, in another time. 

But he had no doubt it was the right one. 

Whether the rest of the Council would feel that way was another matter entirely. And a worry for another time.

His thoughts tumbling and dark, he began slowly unwrapping himself from his tattered robes, aching muscles and bacta-covered skin made him want to move carefully. He looked the fabric over briefly when he started his shower. They had already been well worn before his capture. Now they were not only threadbare but also bloodstained and singed. He bypassed the laundry and threw the whole lot in the recycler instead. 

He thought the heat from the shower would be a welcome relief but instead it made his skin feel tight and he kept smelling the bare edges of sulphur and hearing the scraping of shovels over durasteel. 

He washed as quick as his injuries would allow and dressed in soft sleep tunics. Folding himself into a comfortable meditative position on his bunk, he began his nightly ritual of reaching through the ship to check on the others. 

Anakin was awake, his shields pulled up tight with a clear _‘keep out’_ sign on the door. Obi Wan sighed and moved on. Ahsoka was asleep, albeit fitfully, and he soothed her dreams as best he could without prying into their contents. He had his ideas anyway. 

The men on the ship for the most part seemed relieved and content. A few, like Cody, were awake and had heavy matters on their mind. Obi Wan tried to soothe them as well. 

Last, he looked for Rex. Their bond was restored, albeit delicate, and Obi Wan brushed over it briefly, looking for any signs that he was needed, or wanted, by his Padawan. 

Before he could decipher the meaning behind Rex’s muted, somewhat foggy presence in the bond, a chime at his door brought him out of his light meditative state. 

Blinking a few times and too tired to get up, and he lifted his fingers to wave the door open. 

“Rex?” He said, surprised to see the man standing on the other side.

He was still in the dirty Zygerrian armor and underclothes, a bacta patch on the back of his neck just like Obi Wan’s and when he looked at him his eyes were distant and haunted. 

“Is everything alright?” 

Rex stepped into the room and he swallowed, licking his chapped lips a couple times before speaking. 

“I...wondered, could you...please?” 

Even if his voice hadn’t been trembling, even if this hadn’t been the first time since the Temple when Rex had asked him for something, Obi Wan would have leapt at the chance to help alleviate the pain on Rex’s face. 

As it was, he quickly unfolded himself from his position and crossed the room, standing close enough to reach out but holding his hands to his sides instead. 

“What is it Rex?” He glanced down at his clothes, “Why haven’t you changed yet?” 

Rex’s face crumpled slightly and he raised his hands toward Obi Wan. They were in fists, like they’d been on Kadavo. 

“I can’t. I tried. But every time I touch them to take them off I see…and I can’t look at it anymore.” He broke off, shaking his head miserably.

Rex unfurled his fingers and Obi Wan’s heart twisted in his chest. His hands were blistered, cracked and bleeding, far too raw to wear gloves, he must have escaped the medbay before Scratch's shiny finished their exam.

Obi Wan could only imagine the horrendous images the Zygerrian clothing conjured up for the younger man, especially since he hadn’t had enough time to sort out his Psychometry shields yet. 

“Would you like me to help you remove them?” 

Rex managed to nod and Obi Wan guided him to turn around so he could start working on the foreign clasps and buckles. Throughout, Rex remained silent, a bland hum in the Force that all Troopers seemed to emit when they were actively maintaining their blunt force sheilds. 

“You don’t have to do that, you know.” Obi Wan said eventually, “I would not fault you for anything you are feeling right now. In fact it would be quite hypocritical of me to do so.” 

Rex didn't respond, but after a moment Obi Wan felt their bond grow taught with activity and Rex let him see the tumultuous storm raging in his head. His guilt and anger. Fear, regret and undaunted defiance. 

Obi Wan allowed the emotions to wash across the bond, wanted Rex to feel him see and accept them without judgment. Then let his own feelings flow back toward his Padawan, let him know he was not alone.

Finally, Obi wan had all the armor removed and the under-suit unzipped to the naval so Rex could easily pull it off.

“Thank you.” Rex said, sounding a bit steadier than he looked and Obi Wan was loath to let him wander the ship on his own, but feared the Captain would not accept any more help if offered outright. 

“Would you like to use my refresher?" He said, as light as he could manage and waved casually toward the door, "I haven’t used all my ration of hot water yet and there’s no need for you to wander the ship half-clothed.” 

Rex hesitated only a moment and then nodded, turning to disappear quickly into the other room. 

Obi Wan went back to sitting on his bunk to continue his meditation. A few moments later Rex returned, having helped himself to a pair of Obi wan’s sleep pants and with a towel wrapped around his shoulders catching drops of water still falling from his hair. 

Obi Wan watched from his bed as he came to stand in the middle of the room and stared at nothing, silent and still, like there wasn’t a riot in his head. 

_*I heard the Son again. And the daughter. In the caves on Ilum.*_

Obi Wan jerked slightly in surprise at hearing Rex’s voice in his head. He swallowed, his hands resting on his knees tightened in the fabric.

*What happened?*

Rex frowned, his presence turning tense and agitated. _*Keeli was hurt and I was hanging off the side of a cliff. Somehow…they helped me climb. Both of them.*_

_*Balance.*_ Obi Wan soothed, _*Both Light and Dark. It makes sense, actually. Since you were not raised in the Temple, your connection to the Force would be more natural. Based on intuition more than doctrine._ * 

Rex looked over at his master in surprise. 

_*But...I thought using the Dark wasn’t the Jedi way?*_ Rex frowned, eyes somewhere over Obi Wan’s shoulder. _*I thought maybe on Mortis I…something must have happened. The son said I gave myself to him. But I don’t...I don't remember.*_

Rex’s distress was thick in the room, a half dried riverbed of mud pulling him down toward despair. Obi Wan could not bear to let him continue to sink.

_*You were...possessed by the Son. On Mortis.*_ Careful, cautious, deliberate. _*You and I fought, that’s how your arm got injured. He killed you, Rex. Anakin and the Daughter brought you back.*_

Something like the sound of static over a jammed comm buzzed around Rex and Obi Wan heard him take a deep breath. 

_*I Fell?*_

Obi Wan's eyebrows drew together and he wondered at the confusion and worry swirling in his Padawan. But not about having died. He guessed the idea of dying was one all troopers came to terms with fairly early on. Rather it was the idea he might have Fallen, an act of betrayal he couldn’t possibly understand the depths of, that really seemed to trouble him. 

_*No.*_ Obi Wan made sure the strength of his conviction followed his words over the bond.

Rex turned toward him fully. He felt like a question. 

_*Falling involves making a choice.*_ Obi Wan explained. _*You weren’t given one.*_

Rex was a tightly coiled spring, buzzing and snapping with worry.

_*But...on Kadavo...*_

Seeing the lost expression on his face, Obi Wan stood, moving across the room to stand in front of him again. 

_*What is it?*_ Obi Wan pressed gently. 

Rex’s eyes shone too bright in the low light and he blinked too carefully to be natural. 

“I would have killed him.” He said quietly, perhaps unaware he was speaking out loud. “The overseer. He...I would have killed him. But it’s not...it’s not the Jedi way.” _Maybe the Son was right. About me. Maybe I can’t leave him behind so easily._

Rex was barely holding himself together, Obi wan knew, and he couldn’t blame the man for that. He’d hardly slept in days and the relief of safety was like blood rushing into a limb that had been tied off to keep from bleeding out. Pins and needles and ice under skin even as it was restorative and life-giving. 

He reminded them both to breathe and reached up to touch Rex’s shoulder, pulling him forward. 

“I know you would have,” Obi Wan said, finally pressing their foreheads together. Rex might have been shaking, but then, Obi Wan was too, so he couldn’t be sure. “That is why I didn’t give you the chance.” _The Son cannot have you._

“So you weren’t angry with me? After Mortis?” He asked voice small as he curled into Obi Wan's space.

Obi Wan flailed outward with such force, frenzied apology and sweeping reassurance, that he forgot Rex’s weakened shields until the man winced. 

_*I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Rex.*_ Obi Wan spoke across the bond, wanting Rex to feel his sorrow, the ache in his chest like thin air at the top of a mountain so he would have no reason to doubt it. _*I just…I seem to have made a habit of reacting badly to difficult situations lately. Especially with you.*_

The buzzing returned, but was subdued, quieter. Rex waited. 

_*I was not angry with you. I was…disappointed in myself. Angry with myself. You said some things that…I was not prepared to hear. Though that did not make them any less true.*_ His eyes went to the floor in shame. 

_*What kinds of things?*_ Rex asked, puzzled, crackling like embers the morning after a fire. 

_*It doesn’t matter.*_

_*It does. Maybe...maybe the Son made me say things that weren’t true and you’re upset over nothing.*_

Obi Wan frowned. He...supposed that was possible.

_*You said you hated being interrupted.*_ He began, putting some distance between them and wandering back toward his bunk. _*That you and your brothers are just slaves to the Republic who are forced to die in our Jedi war. You said you were glad to be rid of me and that...well. I’m sure anyone would be a better master than me anyway so, no need to worry on that front.*_

He swallowed hard, knowing his attempt at humor fell felt but hoping he could slap up some sort of barrier over what had become a free flow of intermingling emotion between them, before Rex sensed the sharp spike of pain around the last statement. 

_*General.*_

Now Obi Wan was the one buzzing. 

_*Obi Wan. Look at me please?*_

He turned to face Rex again. It felt wrong to deny him anything at this point.

Rex was clenching and unclenching his hands, shifting on his feet before muttering a curse and closing the distance between them.

"My brothers and I have complicated feelings about the war and the Republic. Our existence may not be ideal, or even particularly enjoyable. But we make the most of it and...at least we exist at all. Are we slaves? Yes. But we are also men. We are soldiers." Rex paused, thinking briefly of the young trooper he'd met outside HQ on Coruscant. "And, someday, I hope we will have the right to choose for ourselves what we do with our lives. You said the Jedi didn’t know about clone quality control and when you found out you immediately took action to put an end to it. And I..." Rex’s brow furrowed in concentration and the sudden feeling of _lovehopegratitude_ that slammed into Obi Wan and wrapped around his entire being made his breath catch.

For a moment there was no uncertainty over Falling to the Dark, no worry from a master who feared he’d failed another Padawan. 

For a moment there was only warmth and security. 

“Rex.” Obi wan said, without thinking. 

Rex smiled and flopped down on his back on Kenobi's bunk, closing his eyes. 

_*I do hate being interrupted though.*_

Obi Wan let out a startled laugh, sniffing wetly, exhaustion that seemed to come from both sides of the bond pulling against him.

_*I’ll make a note of it.*_

Rex hmm’d and shifted onto his side, getting comfortable.

Obi Wan raised an eyebrow. "Staying here?"

Rex's eyes opened, a note of uncertainty in his voice, "If that's okay?"

Obi Wan's only answer was to smile and drop onto the bed beside him, letting Rex burrow into his side like a baby Nexu before resting his hand on his back. Rex's breathing evened out only moments later and Obi Wan was drifting in the direction of sleep when his comm chimed with an incoming message. Rex huffed in annoyance and pressed his face into Obi Wan's hip.

_**CC-2224: Is Rex with you?** _

_**HG-OWK: He is. I'll make sure he reports to Scratch in the morning.** _

_**CC-2224: Very good. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you both.** _

Obi Wan rolled his eyes and set his comm aside.

_*Go to sleep Master.*_

And for the first time since they’d been on the hellhole of a planet, Obi Wan did. 

  
  



End file.
